Gerry Li, Imperial Oil line of business advisor for branded distributors and e-business, told Lube Report the Sarnia location was the first completed among three under construction. We have another one in Toronto, thats going to be open at the end of this month, Li said. Another one in Saint John, New Brunswick, will open in the middle of October.

In the United States, Mobil 1 Lube Express has 284 independently owned facilities. According to the 2007 list of top U.S. fast lubes published in the March issue of National Oil & Lube News, Mobil 1 Lube Express added 47 facilities to its ranks last year, the most facilities added and largest percentage growth in the industry.

In terms of service, as a quick lube change center, everything is similar to the Mobil 1 Lube Express in the U.S., Li said. We have a very aggressive plan to build up a strong network in the Canada market.

Mobil 1 Lube Express is the fastest growing quick-lube operation in the United States and is consistent with Imperial Oils synthetic lubricants growth strategy in Canada, said Jeff Diederichs, marketing manager, lubes and specialties at Imperial Oil.

Imperials Sarnia refinery has capacity to make 2,800 b/d of Group I and 3,800 b/d of Group II paraffinics. Base oil and waxes produced by the lubricant manufacturing complex and other sources are blended with additives to create more than 250 lubricating oils, specialty products and waxes. According to the company, about 60 percent of the blended products are transported to customers by tank trucks and rail cars. The remaining volume is pumped to the site’s packaging plant to be put into small containers.