Shell Introduces Motorcycle Oils Made from Natural Gas
Motorcycles use less engine oil than trucks or cars and work it much harder. Combine that with increasing demand for extended oil drain intervals and improved fuel efficiency, and the oil needs to work harder for even longer. To help motorcycle owners meet these requirements and protect their engines, Shell has launched the next generation of premium motorcycle oil – Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology. This is the first-ever synthetic motorcycle oil made from natural gas using Shell proprietary gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology, marketed as Shell PurePlus Technology.
Andrew Hepher, Shell General Manager Global Marketing for Consumer Lubricants, said, “The integration of our gas value chain in Qatar and our global lubricants supply chain means we can now offer motorcycle owners Shell’s latest in motorcycle oil technology. As the motorcycle parc and oil demand is the highest in Asia, we have launched Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology in key markets in this region first, including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. Soon consumers in Colombia and Brazil will also have access to Shell motorcycles oils made from natural gas. As more markets transition towards synthetic motor oils to balance efficiency with durability, Shell is leading the charge with premium motor oil products made with Shell PurePlus Technology.”
Shell PurePlus Technology produces high-quality API Group III base oils, the main component of engine oils, from natural gas instead of crude oil. They are made at the world’s largest gas-to-liquid facility, Pearl GTL in Qatar. A partnership between Shell and Qatar Petroleum, this plant produces up to 1 million tonnes of crystal-clear GTL base oils per year. From here, the base oils are shipped to Shell global storage hubs in Houston, Hamburg, Jebel Ali and Hong Kong. Based on demand, the GTL base oils are then transported to Shell’s network of 50 lubricant blending plants where premium finished products such as Shell Advance Ultra are made.
Motorcycle engines operate in compact, high stress and high heat environments, and need a dedicated motorcycle engine oil for best engine performance, protection and cleanliness. Base oils made from Shell PurePlus Technology, offer better lower volatility, better lower temperature properties, better viscosity stability and better piston deposit cleanliness, compared to traditional Group II and Group III base oils. When Shell PurePlus Technology is combined with Shell proprietary chemical additives[1, the formulation
[1 Chemical compounds that further enhance the performance of finished engine oils, helping to improve protection and augment key benefits required by certain types of machinery (e.g. improved oxidation resistance). NEWS RELEASE yields motorcycle engine oil that lasts twice as long as a typical oil drain interval[2, enables riders to stay powerful[3 and helps riders ride for longer[4
.
Shell is also taking proven expertise from its road application of this new product to the race track. The Honda NSF 250R Moto3 engines in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup are protected by Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology. Now in its second year, this racing platform helps promote regional racing talent on the international stage. Shell’s motorsport programmes ensure that its engine oil products are tested in extreme conditions on a race track to produce a winning formula both for the road and the track.
ENQUIRIES:
Shell Global Media Relations: +44 207 934 5550
Shell Lubricants Global: Mallika Joshi, +65 9729 2377, Mallika.desai@shell.com
