More and more customers are interested in our lab, and also we are working to increase the client base, Andrei Zhdanov, head of the St. Petersburg laboratory, told Lube Report on Monday.

The lab is now able to test oil samples for viscosity, flash point, dilution, water content, sludge content and acid and base numbers. Available test methods include Fourier transform infrared spectography (FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. SGS opened the lab 20 years ago when it launched its efforts to provide testing for petrochemical products in Russia.

Lubricants now are in our focus because we increased the test methods and sorts of specialty oils and fluids that we can test, Zhdanov said.

SGS said new facility will offer a complete range of oil condition monitoring services to many Russian industries, including factories, automobile fleet operators, rail, shipping, mining and power generation. It uses SGSs centralized system to gather and analyze data on engines and other pieces of equipment located all around the vast territory of Russia. Russian mining is very important for us because we have established customers in this industry for testing the ore quality, and now we expand our cooperation by testing the oil installed in their machinery, Zhdanov said.

A central team of mechanical engineers based in France analyzes results of tests performed on oil samples, the company said in its recent news release.

Oil analysis is one type of condition monitoring – a collection of disciplines used to identify and prevent potential problems in industrial settings. It provides information that can be used to determine when maintenance operations should be performed, reducing downtime and minimizing operating losses due to unexpected equipment failure.

SGS provides inspection, verification, testing and certification for many industries globally. It has more than 85,000 staff and operates a network of over 1,800 offices and laboratories around the world.