Shell recently opened a new gas-to-liquid (GTL) base oil hub near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The facility is Shell's fourth GTL base oil storage hub, joining existing hubs in Houston, Hamburg and Hong Kong. The new hub will facilitate quicker and simpler distribution of GTL base oil to be manufactured into finished products nearer to the end customer.
Located on an industrial site in Jebel Ali approximately 19 miles from Dubai, the hub is geographically centered in the region and close to markets with growing demand for finished lubricants.
Base oil will be shipped from the different GTL base oil hubs to a Shell lubricant oil blending plant where it will be blended with advanced additive technology to produce the final product.
Product from the hub will be used in Shell Helix Ultra, Risella X and Diala X for customers in the Middle East, Egypt, India, Pakistan and South Africa.
"Shell Lubricants has a strong and dependable global supply chain producing high-quality products and providing consistent delivery to our customers," said Dennis Cheong, Shell vice president. "These GTL base oil hubs are an integral part of this. This new hub accomplishes the full global integration of our transportation and storage of GTL base oil."
The decision to create a hub in the UAE demonstrates Shell's ongoing commitment to the region and illustrates the growing demand for premium lubricants. Shell's motor oils made from natural gas (Pennzoil Platinum and Shell Helix Ultra) are now available in more than 95 markets around the world, including within the Middle East region.
For more information, visit www.shell.com.