Rising energy prices have made wind turbines a common sight in rural Germany. But as the global competition for resources heats up, country dwellers could soon have new eyesores on their horizons: oil rigs.

Last month, the Bavarian government issued Germany’s first oil concession for decades, giving Rhein Petroleum – a joint venture of three small oil exploration companies – the right to explore a 2,000 sq km area west of Munich for crude.