Lubricant News

It might be easy to blame EALs, but the ongoing causes of stern tube damage are varied, and possibly declining.Environmentally Acceptable lubricants (EALs) gained market traction with the introduction of US VGP regulations in 2013. Since then, DNV has observed two major trends. The first, starting in 2013 was early life damage, either during sea trials or within the first five years of operation, where aft stern tube bearings typically failed under extreme load conditions. Then from around 2018…

Chevron Marine Products said Tuesday that four-stroke engine operators could benefit from its new lubricating oil's versatility.HDAX 9700 was created to provide a solution for engines that run on multiple liquid and gaseous fuels and applications that require a low-sulfated ash lubricant, Chevron said.According to the company, the HDAX 9700t is also suitable for dual-fuel marine engines, as HDAX 9700 has successfully completed more than 20.000 hours of testing on a Wärtsilä dual-fuel power plant.“HDAX 9700 brings many benefits for operators of four-stroke engines.

The number of stern tube-related damage claims has increased considerably over the last few years, and this is causing marine insurer Gard some concern.In the past, damage to a stern tube was often considered a relatively straightforward casualty by surveyors. The cause was often obvious – contact with a floating object such as ice, fishing nets or ropes, for example.These causes still exist, but the significant increase in frequency over the past years, without any apparent explanation…

Chevron Marine Products’ Taro Ultra Advanced 40 oil has successfully passed NOL (No Objection Letter) requirements by engine manufacturer WinGD. This follows the earlier NOL award for Taro Ultra Advanced 40 from MAN Energy Solutions. This latest test validates the suitability of the oil for use in WinGD engines operating with liquid fuels containing sulphur in the range 0.00<1.50 % m/m, which includes very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). The test also approved the general usage…

An estimated 3,500 gallons of used lubricant oil that spilled near Calcasieu Point Landing, in Louisiana, has been contained, U.S. Coast Guard officials said in a statement on Tuesday.The discharge, reported on Monday, was discovered to have escaped from the secondary containment at Martin Energy Services, the Coast Guard told Reuters in an emailed statement."The source of the spill has been secured and the oil has been contained with boom along the banks of the Lake Charles Industrial…

Peer-reviewed research by Thordon Bearings into the hydrodynamic lubrication efficiency of a ship’s propeller shaft bearing has found that the use of seawater-lubricated elastomeric polymer bearings reduces fuel consumption.The environmental and financial benefits of adopting a seawater-lubricated propeller shaft system are well documented, but this is the first indication that the arrangement reduces hydrodynamic resistance enough to improve fuel consumption, compared to a conventional…

With its TMON(Oil lubricated, +) notation, DNV said it becomes the world’s first classification society to provide a qualified notation that adds another dimension to propeller shaft and bearing condition monitoring.The new notation serves to further minimize propulsion safety risk and prevent costly equipment failure, building on the benefits of the existing TMON class notation. Current DNV class notations TMON(Oil lubricated) and Shaft align are pre-requisites to meet the requirements for assignment of TMON(Oil lubricated…

A commercial fishing vessel that sank Saturday near San Juan Island, Wash. is spilling oil, the U.S. Coast Guard said.All five crewmembers from the sinking Aleutian Isle were rescued by a Good Samaritan, and no injuries have been reported.The 49-foot vessel sank with approximately 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel and a combined 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and lubricant oil aboard, according to the Coast Guard. A sheen has been observed spanning more than two miles and was reported to have entered Canadian waters as the vessel continues to release small amounts of diesel.At approximately 2 p.m.

A U.S.-registered containership is reportedly leaking lubricant into the water near Anchorage, Alaska.On Thursday evening, personnel at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center received a notification that the 645-foot Maunalei was leaking lubricant while transiting to the Port of Alaska. The vessel, owned by Matson, Inc., was said to be discharging a biodegradable, environmentally acceptable lubricant (EAL) at a rate of approximately six gallons per hour. Given the low toxicity of the lubricant…

The $300 billion bunkering market is at a critical juncture due to the double whammy of the geopolitical crisis and the uncertainty surrounding the regulatory framework pertaining to the decarbonization of the shipping industry.“Bunkering has been hit from the trickledown effect of the sanctions against Russia, and this of course has had a serious impact on prices. Pre-war, the global prices were around $750-$850 per ton, and now we are looking at prices above $1,000,” said Alexander Prokopakis…

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) for its vessel design with a novel aft layout, which eliminates pollution and promotes efficient vessel operations.The SDARI design, developed in cooperation with Thordon Bearings Inc. and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), introduces a new approach to the vessel’s aft layout, including removal of the stern tube casting, employing seawater for lubrication…

Shell Marine received a full No Objection Letter (NOL) from MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) for Shell Alexia 40 XC, its Category II (CAT II) 40BN cylinder oil, confirming the successful completion of the full approval process.Alexia 40 XC uses a proprietary and unique formulation, developed by Shell Marine’s in-house Research & Development team. The NOL was received following the conclusion of the Main NOL Service Test and Confirmation Test for Alexia 40XC. The successful approval…

Chevron Marine Lubricants announced its low sulphated ash trunk piston engine oil Chevron HDAX 9700 has become the first lubricant to gain time-unrestricted approval for use with MAN Energy Solutions’ four-stroke engines running on either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or distillate fuels (with a sulphur content of up to 0.10%).Chevron said the first-of-its-kind approval offers simplicity for operators switching between the two fuels, meaning that they can use just one lubricant, rather than having to change lubricants after a fixed period operating on one fuel or the other.

As of August 1, 2021, Wilhelmsen will begin to take over sales, logistics and consulting for Klüber Lubrication’s maritime portfolio for its sea going vessels. Initially within European countries and Southeast Asia, followed by the rest of the world from October 2021. “This exclusive partnership pairs Klüber Lubrication’s market-leading marine lubricants with our unrivalled sales, customer service and supply network," said Kjell Andre Engen, EVP Marine Products, Wilhelmsen.Complementing Wilhelmsen’s existing marine products portfolio…

Chevron Marine Lubricants announced a plan to boost its presence in African ports, extending its joint venture with Akwa Group. Chevron is now an equal partner in Afriquia Lubrifiants, with plans to extend the blending, distribution, and marketing business beyond Morocco to markets in sub-Saharan Africa.The agreement enables theJV to manufacture Chevron’s premium products locally for the first time, including Chevron Marine Lubricants’ product portfolio. The new roadmap includes the export of lubricant products to 14 countries in North and West Africa: Algeria…

Without action from the shipping sector to decarbonize, the sector will be responsible for approximately 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. And given the scale of the change required, we must address this now. Across the industry, many are wrestling with what steps to take to drive their decarbonization journeys.Last year, Shell and Deloitte published a joint report, Decarbonizing Shipping: All Hands on Deck, assessing the key factors affecting decarbonization of the shipping sector.

About one third of the roughly 150 ships owned by companies controlled by Singapore tycoon Lim Oon Kuin and his family have been sold as part of efforts to repay billions of dollars of debt owed to creditors, two sources told Reuters.Accounting firm Grant Thornton, court-appointed supervisor of Xihe Holdings, put up several vessels for sale through shipbrokers in September last year. Xihe Holdings is owned by the Lim family and held the bulk of their fleet.The rest of the ships are majority-owned by Xihe Capital - currently under liquidation according to Singapore business registry records - and 10 single purpose companies.The ships…

Savannah-based Colonial Group Inc. has announced a new era of leadership as it prepares to mark a major milestone in the company’s history in 2021.Christian B. Demere (Demere) has been named chief executive officer, succeeding his father, Robert H. Demere, Jr. (Demere Jr.), who had been in the position since 1986. Colonial Group has continued to operate as a privately held business since 1921 through the chairmanships of its founder, Raymond Demere; his son, Robert H. Demere Sr.; and Robert’s son, Demere Jr.“The time has come to pass the torch to the fourth generation,” said Demere Jr.

Thordon Bearings has added to the growing concern over proposed changes to Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance (VIDA) requirements, citing far reaching environmental consequences if clauses in the existing document are removed.In a statement submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 20, 2020, the Canada-based bearings and seals pioneer “strongly questions the removal of some text” in the proposed amendments, stating that…

The ongoing oil pollution incident from the grounded 203,000 DWT bulk carrier MV Wakashio is threatening an ecological catastrophe around the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, endangering corals, fish and other marine life already under threat from climate change (IPCC 2018).In addition, it risks bringing devastating consequences for the economy, food security, health and tourism industry. Tourism in Mauritius - a popular destination for its pristine beaches - reportedly contributed about $1.6 billion to its economy during the last year…

Singapore has suspended the licenses to sell ship fuel held by a subsidiary of defunct oil trader Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd since it could no longer meet the licensing requirements, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Monday.The MPA suspended the licenses for Hin Leong's subsidiary Ocean Bunkering Services Pte Ltd (OBS), an agency spokesperson said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters sent on Oct. 12.MPA typically issues licenses to supply bunker…

Drew Marine said it has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil Marine Lubricants to expand the availability of ExxonMobil’s range of high performance lubricants. Drew Marine’s global supply chain will help ensure the availability of Flagship grades, including Mobil SHC Aware, to international vessel operators.The agreement covers a range of ExxonMobil’s synthetic marine industry lubricants. These include specific grades for compressors, hydraulic systems, gears, auxiliary engines and refrigeration plants. With this agreement in place, Drew Marine is now well-positioned to meet the most demanding lubricant applications.“Our global commercial and technical service personnel have a deep understanding of the needs of vessel operators,” said Frank J. Monteiro, President and CEO of Drew Marine.

RSC Bio Solutions announced team expansions in several key geographic areas, as well as expanded distribution coverage. Hideki Tominga and Alhareth Shahen are joining as business development managers, Thomas TO is joining as a Technical Business Consultant, and Miranda Lo and Cherl Minot are coming on board in customer support functions. David Simpson has been promoted to lead global business development activities for the marine and offshore division.“We are proud to be playing a leadership role in developing innovative solutions to address the accelerating challenges heavy equipment and maritime operators face today,” said Mike Guggenheimer, President and CEO of RSC Bio Solutions.