Oil Analysis News

More than 90% of global freight is transported by over 33,000 merchant marine vessels powered by two stroke crosshead engines as their main source of propulsion; the two-stroke diesel engine has been the backbone of global trade and globalization for well over half a century. Among one of the key factors supporting the reliability and uptime of these engines, keeping trade moving, is the effective performance of cylinder oil. Often referred to as the lifeblood of the engine, these oils provide critical protection to avoid abrasive…

Iran is maintaining crude oil supply by loading tankers one at a time and moving floating oil storage much closer to China, two vessel tracking firms told Reuters, as the country seeks to keep a key source of revenue while under attack from Israel.The conflict between Iran and Israel which broke out last week poses a fresh hurdle for Iran, which uses a shadow fleet of tankers to conceal their origin and skirt U.S. sanctions reinstated in 2018 over its nuclear program.Crude exports from Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, mainly head to China.

On October 1, 2024, NYK began operation of a test engine facility in Chiba Prefecture to evaluate the safety of new fuels.The introduction of new marine fuels used to necessitate testing and analysis at external engine facilities, in addition to trial operations, all of which would require about two years to complete. Shortening this period and reducing the cost of testing have been key to meeting the increasing demand for new fuels, such as biofuels, and satisfying the environmental regulatory measures of various countries.

Condition monitoring solutions company CM Technologies (CMT) has developed new tools to assess the condition of lubricating oils and cylinder liners.The company’s new WBS IR Analyser is an advanced all-in-one infrared-based solution designed to assess the Base Number, soot and water content of cylinder and system oils, while the new CMT Scuffing Sensor can detect sudden and severe wear of the engine’s cylinder liners and piston rings well before other systems can see it.“Modern…

Freight rates to ship Russian oil have fallen this month towards parity with those for other global exporters for the first time since 2022 as more tankers were available despite Western sanctions and exports fell, three sources said on Wednesday.Freight rates to ship Russian oil soared to more than $20 million per voyage in 2022 after the West imposed sanctions and a $60 dollar price cap to try to limit Russian export revenues.The sources who asked not to be named because they…

Japanese shipping major NYK Group has marked the start of construction of a test facility that will serve to assess the safety of biofuels and accelerate their practical application as marine fuels.NYK plans to complete the installation of the test engine in June and analyze the biofuel in combustion tests over the next three years.The test engine will be a reused generator from the tugboat Sakigake, which is currently being converted to an ammonia-fueled tug, according to NYK.NYK companies Boltech.

Shell Marine has deployed a suite of enhancements to its LubeMonitor service, surfacing a wider range of technical and operational insights.While the features become more sophisticated, Shell Marine has taken strides to ensure that its LubeMonitor user interface and reports are now simpler to use and generate. New features include:Enhanced fleet and vessel insights that go beyond traditional reporting: allowing users to compare vessels from fleet level all the way down to its…

Classification society ClassNK has released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships.The 48 amendments were issued on 3June 30, including the following items:Regarding “Oil-lubricated Propeller Shafts Kind 1”, the notation requirements to affix “1C” to the classification characters of the ships fitted with oil-lubricated propeller shafts (Kind 1C), which have a reputation for being highly reliable by various means not only to prevent corrosion damage to stern tube bearings but also to facilitate general maintenance and management more easily…

Total Lubmarine has extended the global reach of its technical support services with the opening of a new Diagomar Plus Laboratory in Chicago, Ill.The new lab opening means the marine lubricant specialist now has five centers around the world – with Chicago joining Ertvelde (Belgium), Singapore, Shanghai and Panama City.“North America is an increasingly busy market for us and the opening of the Chicago Lab ensures we have a specialist team on hand to deliver onshore dedicated technical support to our customers…

Total Lubmarine’s Talusia Universal (BN57) has received a No Objection Letter (NOL) from WinGD for all fuels (liquid and gas) with a sulphur content 0.00%S - 1.50%S.The NOL was awarded with no restrictions following the successful completion of two rigorous tests carried out on two different vessels fitted with W6X72 engines.The tests were conducted on split engines comparing Talusia Universal with a BN40 reference Cylinder Lube Oil (CLO). One test carried out with compliant VLSFO <0.5%S, the other one with compliant ULSFO <0.1%S for 2350 and 2000 running hours respectively.“Following both tests, Talusia Universal performed significantly better than the reference CLO for deposit control and general piston cleanliness…

Shell Marine has secured a contract to supply lubricants for five 62,000 dwt multipurpose pulp carriers that will be delivered to COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers in 2019 and 2020.The lubricants contract, won in a competitive negotiation process, calls for delivery of the two-stroke engine cylinder oils Shell Alexia 100 and Shell Alexia 40 and the multi-functional lubricants Shell Melina S30 and Shell Argina S3 40.Alexia 100 and Alexia 40 are part of Shell Marine’s portfolio of cylinder oils protecting two-stroke engines across a full range of vessel operating profiles, machinery specifications and fuel sulfur contents, now and after the introduction of IMO’s global sulfur cap from January 1…

ExxonMobil has announced its new 40BN cylinder oil, Mobilgard 540, will be available from September 2, 2019. The lubricant has been specifically formulated for use with 0.50% sulphur fuels that comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 emission regulations and meets the requirements of OEMs, MAN ES and WinGD.Mobilgard 540 will be available from launch in major ports around the world including Hong Kong, Singapore, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It will also be offered at additional locations through ExxonMobil’s delivery network, in bulk and in packs.

With a motto of Always Ready, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has 11 missions specified by law including drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The USCG’s newest ships including 22 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) recently entered service with 36 more on order and six new National Security Cutters (NSCs) with two more in the process of being built. Oil analysis plays a critical role in the…

A new worldwide distributor deal signed between Yorkshire-based maritime diesel engine specialist Maktec Marine and Midlands headquartered lubricant giant Exol aims to catapult the U.K. lubricants manufacturer into the maritime industry. “Exol is a sleeping giant in the maritime sector,” said Mark Cornforth, owner of Maktec, a brand with 20 years of maritime industry experience. “Exol is flourishing in the industrial, automotive, agriculture and transport sectors but wants to ramp up activity in the shipping industry, which is Maktec’s specialist area.

JF Mimic, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, said it has signed an agreement to supply its specialist Mimic condition monitoring software to Stolt Tankers B.V (Stolt) to enhance operational safety and improve the technical reliability of its assets. The Mimic software will be installed on Stolt’s fleet of 75 vessels, as well as onshore at its head office, to provide instant condition status alerts along with detailed efficiency monitoring, as management and control of a 21st century maritime business demands unique solutions…

An inspection of one of two main engines on a U.S. inland waterways vessel revealed that ExxonMobil’s Mobil Delvac 1 ESP 5W-40 diesel engine oil provided outstanding protection and cleanliness for a Cummins KTA38 marine diesel main engine after nine years of continuous use. The engine had accumulated 21,782 running hours with an initial fill of Mobil Delvac 1 ESP 5W-40 engine oil. Mobil SignumSM oil analysis was used to closely monitor the health of the engine throughout this period, with support from the ExxonMobil field engineering team.

ClassNK’s subsidiary ClassNK Consulting Service (NKCS) has officially launched its Bunker Fuel Oil Analysis Service. The service will provide an oil analysis report for the properties of bunker fuel oil based on the ISO8217 Standard with advice such as oil heating and purification. Testing laboratories are located worldwide in Singapore, UAE, U.K. and U.S. After sampled oil is received at the nearest laboratory from each ship, an analysis report will be provided by email and online within 48 hours. In addition to analysis based on the ISO8217 Standard, the Bunker Fuel Oil Analysis Service also provides special analysis services based on request…

Shell Marine has shared an insight into the approach driving its work to protect modern ultra-efficient diesel engines against cold corrosion while still optimizing cylinder oil feed rates, across the entire range of vessel operating conditions. The company said it has been working closely with major OEMs and several ship owners who support this development. Following formulation and laboratory testing in 2015, the new Shell Alexia 140 has ondergoe over six months of shipboard trials with a Shell Marine customer. “We are responding rapidly to the changing needs of the industry, helping our customers to cope with their full range of operating conditions,” said Jan Toschka, General Manager of Shell Marine. “This latest development underpins our commitment to the industry and its future.

Lubricants supplier Total Lubmarine has launched Talusia Optima, a new cylinder lube oil compatible with high sulphur heavy fuel oils and ultra-low sulphur distillate fuels. According to the manufacturer, the new lube has been developed to simplify the management of vessels trading globally in and out of Emission Control Areas (ECAs), and offers the potential to reduce lube consumption and help extend engine life. Talusia Optima is suitable for use with fuels ranging in sulphur content of between 0 and 3.5 percent. Talusia Optima has received a no objection letter from major OEM Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) for the use of the product across its two-stroke engine ranges.

With an eye towards environmental compliance, operational efficiencies and the bottom line, the Marine News top propulsion providers touch all bases. Sitting down to select the best engine and propulsion manufacturers in the workboat marine space isn’t necessarily the easiest task in the world. Nor is it a linear exercise. On the other hand, these Marine News featured firms – Caterpillar Marine, Volvo Penta and Yanmar – all have more in common than you might think. With a laser focus on their collective customer’s bottom lines and addressing that concern through technology, environmental compliance and economical but powerful performance, each satisfies the niche in its own particular fashion. See if you don’t agree.

As of April 2016, Shell Marine Products (SMP) has analyzed more than 50,000 cylinder drain oils samples via its Shell Rapid Lubricants Analysis (RLA) oil condition monitoring service. By identifying potential oil or equipment issues before they become critical, many shipping companies use Shell RLA as part of their planned maintenance regime. Shell RLA helps to deliver greater equipment reliability and reduced downtime. Shell said this service has grown rapidly in recent years…

Volvo Penta today announced a new extended service interval for its commercial marine diesel engines. “We recognize that minimizing downtime is a critical requirement for commercial marine operators,” said Marcia Kull, Vice President-Marine Sales, for Volvo Penta of the Americas. Volvo Penta launched its oil analysis program in 2014 to make it easy to obtain expert diagnostics of engine oil. A factory authorized oil analysis provides a basic driveline health check yielding a wealth of information on what’s happening inside an engine. Oil samples are sent to a Volvo Penta authorized laboratory, where technicians perform a rigorous full-spectrum analysis. The laboratory sends back a complete report by email within 24-48 hours with recommendations for actions.

Selection of gear oil for marine thrusters or a stern tube lubricant for use with propeller shaft bearings is often based on analyzing price/performance characteristics of the lubricant and its availability. Now with the implementation of the 2013 Vessel General Permit, this analysis must be expanded to include environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) that meet the new EPA standards. To meet environmental requirements, EALs are blended from base oils other than mineral oil. They still meet the same lubricant objective – providing long-term equipment protection.