Base oil production in the United States rose 15% in March, compared to the same month last year, and was 17% higher than in March 2020, a U.S. government agency reported last week. Production for the first quarter increased 10% from the same period last year.
In March, U.S. base oil production totaled 5.1 million barrels, compared with 4.4 million barrels in the same month last year and slightly less than 4.4 million barrels in March 2020, according to the Energy Information Agency. Sequentially, March’s volume was 11% more than in February.
For the first quarter, the country’s base oil production reached 14.4 million barrels, compared with 13.1 million barrels in both 2021’s first quarter and the same period in 2020.
U.S. paraffinic base oil production in March rose 20% to 4.4 million barrels and was up 14% from the same month in 2020. Sequentially, March’s volume was up 14% from February.
In the first quarter, paraffinic base oil production increased 12% and was up 10% from 2020’s first quarter.
Naphthenic base oil production declined 8% to 697,000 barrels in March, though it was up 48% from 472,000 barrels in March 2020. March’s volume was 4% below February’s production. For the first quarter, naphthenic production edged down 1% to 2.1 million barrels, and was 8% higher than in 2020’s first quarter.