ENOC
prepares for changing Mid East lubricants landscape
Posted: 23 September 2003
Synthetic lubricants and new engine technology ahead
The recent ENOC-hosted ‘Lubricants & Base Oils —
Outlook for the East of Suez’ conference in Dubai heard how
the region will face growing demand for synthetic lubricants in
coming years.
The forecast came as ENOC Lubricants hosted a conference segment
dedicated to the industry as part of the recent Middle East Petroleum
and Gas Week in Dubai. Kamal Said, Chief Operating Officer, ENOC
International Sales LLC, chaired the conference, which was attended
by representatives from major international and national oil companies.
“This prediction is set against a backdrop of lowering emissions
and higher customer expectation,” said Tayyeb Al Mulla, Chief
Executive, ENOC International Refining and Marketing. “The
forecast reflects ENOC’s role in the global lubricants’
industry.”
Khaled Al Huraimel, Manager – Sales & Marketing, of five-year-old
ENOC Lubricants, a lubricants supply company, said the UAE will
continue to be the region’s main re-export hub, but demand
for synthetic lubricants will grow. The GCC market size is estimated
at 468,500 metric tonnes while the region’s annual production
is estimated at 1,075,000 metric tonnes.
Huraimel anticipated that standardisation of GCC customs will lead
to cross trade of lubricants between GCC nations.
He also said municipalities in the UAE will drive the further introduction
of professional oil change facilities, in support of environment,
health and safety standards.
ENOC and EPPCO already have a range of Quick Oil Change facilities
across the Group’s extensive network of service stations in
Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Later, Howard Hancock, Manager – Lubricants Technology &
Logistics, ENOC International Sales LLC, told the conference that
global laws enforcing the reduction of emission limits will greatly
challenge lubricant manufacturers.
He said In terms of vehicle emissions, Type 1 gases – produced
from burning (vehicle) fuel - have to be reduced by 90% by 2005,
from the last emission limits set in 2000/2001. Type 2 gas - sulphur
dioxide produced from the sulphur in the fuel - has to be reduced
in refineries from 0.1% in about 1990 to 0.005% by 2005 - costing
millions of dollars to upgrade refineries. Type 3 gas – Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) - can be reduced by improving vehicle fuel economy,
developing small, very efficiency, high out-put engines.
Hancock emphasised that the ultimate goal is to reach zero vehicle
emissions completely. He forecast that this may happen in the next
15 years or later and it will mean the end of the conventional combustion
engine. The traditional engine, he said, may be replaced by fuel
cell technology that converts hydrogen into electricity –
a power system that needs very little lubrication.
Hancock predicted that to meet lower emission gas standards. In
the UAE and Middle East, future lubricants will be very different
to the ones we know today. He said oil refineries will have to invest
heavily in removing sulphur from gasoline and diesel fuels, while
lubricant marketers such as ENOC Lubricants will have to formulate
very low sulphur lubricants, requiring new chemical additive technology.
Hancock sees increasing quality of base oils towards synthetics,
to meet the low sulphur requirements as well as meeting other important
lubricant performance requirements. He added that lubricants costs
will increase, and there will be a greater diversity of lubricants
to meet all vehicle requirements.
ENOC Lubricants is now the Energy Partner of Choice for the lubricants
market across 26 countries.
Established in 1998, ENOC Lubricants has developed its own quality
range of branded automotive, industrial and marine lubricants which
are produced at an ISO-certified, state-of-the-art blending plant
in the United Arab Emirates. ENOC lubricants are today sold in 26
countries.
ENOC Lubricants are best-suited to countries with demanding climatic
conditions. ENOC Lubricants’ two flagship products –
the PROTEC gasoline engine oil range and the VULCAN diesel engine
oil range – are the preferred brand of discriminating international
customers.
For more information see http://www.enoc.com.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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