Royal Dutch Shell remained the world’s largest lubricant supplier in 2019, maintaining the top spot for the 14th consecutive year, according to estimates by Kline & Co.
The Anglo-Dutch energy giant was followed by ExxonMobil, which has held the number two spot for the same number of years. BP, Total and Sinopec rounded out the top five, Kline said in a Nov. 26 press release.
Based on findings in its study, “Global Lubricants Market Analysis and Assessment,” Kline calculates that those five companies supplied 35% of the lubes that the world consumed last year. Kline’s press release did not indicate the market shares of individual companies, but Shell released its own press release pegging its global sales at 4.5 million metric tons.
The Parsippany, New Jersey-based consulting firm said Shell’s performance is due to numerous factors, including its leading position in the United States, where it holds a 13% market share, and its sales in China, where it ranks second behind national oil giants Sinopec and PetroChina.
Kline calculated that the United States was the largest market in 2019, followed by China, India, Russia and Japan. Those countries account for a combined 53% of global demand, the firm said, adding that the U.S. and China combine to account for nearly 40%.