Russian oil major Lukoil started supplying marine lubricants in bulk quantities to a key Black Sea port in southwest Russia.
Lukoil Marine Lubricants delivered its Navigo branded products – alkaline marine cylinder lubricants for low-speed two-stroke diesel engines – to customers in Novorossiysk on Jan. 15. Until recently, lubricant supplies were not available in bulk in this port, the company said in a recent news release. Vessels were able to bunker here but had to call in another port or company for lubricants supply.
According to Lukoil Marine, many cargo ships visit Novorossiysk, which is considered one of Russias most important export seaports.
Insufficient lubricant supplies at the port resulted in longer routes and queues for ships, which in turn meant increased costs for the shipowners, according to Lukoil. The new option to receive lubricants in bulk amounts at the port not only enables our customers to save time and money but makes logistics considerably easier as well, the company stated.
Created in 2008, Lukoil Marine Lubricants has quickly expanded abroad, opening offices in Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and the United States. The company now markets its marine lubricants to ship owners in 600 ports in 62 countries worldwide.
Parent company Lukoil is the largest lube marketer in Russia. In 2012 it held 49 percent of the market, and it sold 1.1 million tons of base oils and finished lubricants, according to Moscow-based consultancy InfoTEK. Lukoil operates four blending and base oil plants in Russia, and it has four more blending plants in Austria, Romania, Finland and Turkey.