Shell's most advanced motor oil ever are produced at the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant in Qatar, the world's largest gas-to-liquids facility, with an annual production capacity of 1 million tonnes of base oils

Dubai, 18 September, 2014: Shell Lubricants in the Middle East, Central Asia and Pakistan, announced the launch of a next generation motor oil, Shell Helix Ultra with Shell PurePlus Technology - the company's most advanced motor oil ever, featuring a base oil developed from natural gas. A launch event took place at the iconic Gate in Dubai's International Financial Centre (DIFC) area, where VIP guests and industry leaders were hosted by Mr. Amr Adel, Regional General Manager, Commercial Fuels and Lubricants, Middle East, Central Asia and Pakistan, and Mr. Romi Arman, Cluster Marketing Manager.

In his welcome speech, Mr. Adel highlighted how Shell is pioneering an entirely new way to produce premium motor oils through a revolutionary gas-to-liquid (GTL) process to design a pure, synthetic base oil which delivers higher levels of cleansing and protection.  

Mr. Amr Adel, said, "Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology harnesses the power of gas to produce a next generation motor oil, bringing together over 40 years of research and development in one new motor oil. It is our most advanced motor oil and is designed to meet the needs of today's engines. With Shell PurePlus technology, Shell Helix Ultra is able to keep engines close to factory clean[1] and we are proud to make it available to customers in Middle East, Central Asia and Pakistan"

Shell PurePlus Technology converts natural gas into a crystal-clear base oil with virtually none of the impurities found in crude oil for use in premium, synthetic lubricants. Base oils are the main component of finished motor oils, making up on average 75-90% of the end product. This next generation base oil is then enhanced with Shell's unique additive ingredients to create the company's most advanced fully synthetic motor oil ever; Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology.

In hot climates as experienced in the region, oil is prone to exceeding its normal operating temperature. As a premium synthetic oil, Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology is less prone to thinning at high temperatures, which is good for drivers in the region. The ability of the oil to function well in different climate conditions ensures that the engine is well protected and is constantly being cleansed. 

Mr. Romi Arman said, "This is our most advanced motor oil ever. The unique combination of Shell PurePlus Technology with Active Cleansing Technology enables Shell Helix Ultra to deliver even higher levels of cleansing and protection. Shell Helix Ultra is already being used as a factory fill-oil by a number of leading manufacturers[2] and including Ferrari. This gives drivers confidence in the quality of the motor oil and its ability to provide the best performance."

The Shell Helix Ultra range also combines Shell PurePlus Technology with Active Cleansing Technology to deliver higher levels of protection against build-up of engine deposits and unsurpassed sludge protection[3]. The product provides superior wear and corrosion protection[4] which can help to extend engine life and reduce maintenance costs. Fuel economy benefits vary with viscosity grade, but certain products within the Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology range can deliver an improvement of up to 3% in fuel economy[5].

Shell PurePlus Technology base oils are produced at the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant in Qatar; a partnership between Shell and Qatar Petroleum. This facility is the world's largest gas-to-liquids facility, and can produce approximately one million tonnes of base oils per year.

The new Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology range is currently being rolled out across the region. 

-Ends-

About Shell Lubricants:
The term "Shell Lubricants" collectively refers to Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. Shell sells a wide variety of lubricants to meet customer needs across a range of applications. These include consumer motoring, heavy-duty transport, mining, power generation and general engineering. Shell's portfolio of lubricant brands includes Pennzoil, Quaker State, Shell Helix, Shell Rotella, Shell Tellus and Shell Rimula.  We are active across the full lubricant supply chain. We manufacture base oils in eight plants, blend base oils with additives to make lubricants in over 50 plants, distribute, market and sell lubricants in over 100 countries. We also provide technical and business support to customers. We offer lubricant-related services in addition to our product range these include: Shell LubeMatch -the market leading product on-line recommendation tool, Shell LubeAdvisor - helps customers to select the right lubricant through highly trained Shell technical staff as well as online tools and Shell LubeAnalyst - early warning system that enables customers to monitor the condition of their equipment and lubricant, helping to save money on maintenance and avoid potential lost business through equipment failure. Shell's world-class technology works to deliver value to our customers.  Innovation, product application and technical collaboration are at the heart of Shell lubricants. We have leading lubricants research centres in Germany, Japan (in a joint venture with Showa Shell), and the USA.  We invest significantly in technology and work closely with our customers to develop innovative lubricants. We have a patent portfolio with 150 + patent series for lubricants, base oils and greases; more than 200 scientists and lubricants engineers dedicated to lubricants research and development. Customer benefits include lower maintenance costs, longer equipment life and reduced energy consumption. One of the ways we push the boundaries of lubricant technology is by working closely with top motor racing teams such as Scuderia Ferrari. These technical partnerships enable us to expand our knowledge of lubrication science and transfer cutting-edge technology from the racetrack to our commercial products.

Shell is recognised as the world's leading lubricants company by the tenth annual Kline and Company report on the global lubricants sector ("Global Lubricants Industry 2011: Market Analysis and Assessment"), which confirmed that Shell maintained its volume leadership position during 2011, enjoying a 13% market share.

For enquiries please contact:
Mr. Nureddin Wefati
Head of Media Relations for Middle East & North Africa
Shell EP International
Tel: +97147055347
Cell: +971562162409
Nureddin.Wefati@Shell.com

Mr. Ali Khan
Spokesperson Middle East & North Africa
Shell EP International Ltd
Tel:   +971 4 405 4563
Cell: +971 501 897 480
Ali-nasir.khan@shell.com

Cautionary Note

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[1] Based on Sequence VG sludge test run on SAE 0W-40
[2] New OEM approvals have been secured, from Mercedes, Ford, Honda, GM, Chrysler, and Hyundai
[3] Based on Sequence VG sludge test performance on SAE 0W-40
[4] Compared with API SN and based on sequence IVA  and sequence VIII engine tests
[5] Based on the M111 FE test compared with the industry reference oil. Fuel economy varies from 1.7% up
to 3% depending on the different vehicle types and the applied engine oil

© Press Release 2014