April sales of lubricating oil and grease in Australia fell 7 percent year on year to 25.6 million liters, according an Australian government agency’s petroleum statistics report.
Fluid automotive lubricants accounted for 17.3 million liters (15.5 million metric tons), down 9 percent from April of 2019. Sales of fluid industrials lubes were 6.3 million liters, up slightly from a year earlier. Grease sales rose slightly, too, to 1.6 million liters.
Within the automotive oils category, gasoline engine oils accounted for 24 percent of sales, diesel engine oils for 38 percent of sales, transmission fluids for 29 percent and gear oils for 6 percent. Within the industrial oils category, hydraulic fluids accounted for 56 percent of sales and gear oils for 16 percent.
For the full 2019 calendar year, sales of lubricating oils and greases jumped 22 percent to 395.4 million liters.
According to the report, the combined volume of lubricating oils, greases and base stocks imported into Australia during fiscal year 2018-2019 – from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 – increased 7 percent to 485 million liters. The volume reached 55 million liters in April, up 6 percent from the preceding month and up 54 percent from April 2019.
The Australian government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources releases the monthly Australian Petroleum Statistics report.
Oil product storage tanks on shore of Derwent river near Hobart, Australia