Lukoil recently opened a 30,000 metric ton per year lubricant blending plant in Ploiesti, Romania. The Russian oil major plans to use the facility as a platform to supply lubes in the European Union.
The plant, which opened in March, is located at the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery, operated by Lukoils wholly owned Romanian subsidiary. Lukoil officials said the location is strategically advantageous.
We are now sending lubricants not only to Russia, not only to Commonwealth of Independent States countries but also to a number of countries in the European Union, Lukoils Nikolai Manvelov said during an interview yesterday. This plant will make those sales logistically easier because it is located in a member country.
The plants equipment, including one automatic batch blender and a packaging line, were supplied by Cellier Activity, part of ABB Frances Process Automation Division. Lukoil did not disclose the cost of the project, but did say the plant will make 120 types of lubes.
Traditionally Lukoils lubricant sales have been focused on Russia and other CIS countries, but the past few years its lubricant subsidiary, LLK-International, has stepped up efforts to expand elsewhere. Before the opening in Ploiesti, the company had only one blending plant outside the former Soviet Union – its Teboil facility near Hamina, Finland.
Finland is also part of the European Union, but the Teboil plant is dedicated partly to production of lubes that are marketed under the Teboil brand. According to Manvelov, all of the lubes made in Ploiesti will be marketed under Lukoil brands.