Interesting article on GTL base oils....

[NewGuy]

I hope I am not repeating something already posted elsewhere on BITOG. Here is an article sent to me by a friend in the SynLube business. He has some interesting insight into the Lube business, including the Group III vs PAO discussion. He believes that it was a shortage of PAO, market dominance of PAO by ExxonMobil and competitive pressures that drove Castrol to develop high purity group IIIs. He has insight into the industry that dates back into the early 70s. I won't bore you with the details, but he believes that this gas-to-liquid process could stand the industry on its head from a cost and performance standpoint.

It sounds like an interesting development in the industry.


Lube Report

 

[MolaKule]

Companion Article:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000051


BTW, Castrol didn't develop high purity Group III base oils, Chevron did.

Most GroupIII base oils now come from Asian refineries.

 

[buster]

http://www.exxonmobil.com/corporate/files/corporate/outlook_gtl.pdf

XOM had some interesting things to say regarding GTL.

 

[Jimbo]

GTL could really turn the base oil market on its head.

My question is how can this product be called "not really synthetic" as the PAO Nazis like to say about Group III. It is "synthisized" from a gas, where the molecules are broken down an reassembled, not saturated and purified from a distillate.

 

[jthorner]

Thanks for the interesting links. It looks like we are entering a golden era for lubricant basestocks where thanks to new technology quality is going up and costs are coming down .... almost like the electronics industry trends we pretty much take for granted.

As far as the Really Synthetic debate ... yawn, who cares!

John

 

[TooSlick]

Jimbo,

Most of the PAO Nazis have never even compared a group III based oil to a PAO in their engines....

They are basing their comments on second hand information they've read on the internet. I've tested both group III oils (Petro Canada/Amsoil) and PAO's under the same conditions in my personal vehicles and have come around a lot on this issue.

I still think the PAO's are better for extended drains longer than 10,000 miles (where my main interest lies). However some of the off the shelf, GP III based synthetics at the $4.50-$5.00/qt price point generate excellent oil analysis results.

I'm surprised there aren't any Group III based oils or synthetic blends for Piston aircraft? Do you know of any?

Ted

 

[TooSlick]

Jimbo,

Thanks ...I'm familar with those two products.

Ted

 

[Jimbo]

There are two synthetic blend aircraft piston engine oils in the US market, Aeroshell 15W-50 and Exxon Elite 20W-50. These are both Group I/PAO blends. Napthenic Group I is needed for the solvency in the presence of large amounts of lead and blowby in those engines. Straight Group III paraffinics would probably not work well in that environment.