Brazil produced 19% more base oil in February than in the same month last year, according to data released last week by a government agency.
Brazil produced 50,000 metric tons of base oil in February, compared to 42,000 tons in the same month last year, Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels reported.
It continued a strong start for base oil production in the South American country, following 58,000 tons in in January that represented a 21% year-on-year increase.
Both month’s production volumes were well above any monthly production in 2022, which peaked at 49,000 tons in both May and June.
ANP releases base oil production data for each of the country’s three virgin base oil plants.
The base oil plant at Duque de Caxias Refinery, known as Reduc, produced 49,000 tons of base oil in February, an 26% jump from 39,000 barrels. Owned by Petrobras, the plant has annual Group I production capacity of 584,000 tons per year.
Production at the Lubnor base oil plant owned by Petrobras in Fortaleza, in the northeastern state of Ceara, was flat at less than 4,000 tons in February. Formerly Refinaria Lubrificantes e Derivados do Nordeste, or Northeastern Lubricants and Derivatives Refinery, its plant has 68,000 t/y annual naphthenic base stocks production capacity. The base oil plant at Mataripe Refinery in Sao Francisco do Conde produced less than 3,000 tons in February, although it represented a 50% jump from around 2,000 tons. Owned by Mubadala Investment Co. and operated by its Acelen subsidiary, the plant has annual Group I production capacity of 91,000 t/y.