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ExxonMobil has confirmed that Mobilgard 5100 has received an interim No Objection Letter (NOL) from Wärtsilä after demonstrating its ability to mitigate the effects of cold corrosion in new design and modified two-stroke marine engines operating on heavy fuel oil. The NOL covers the use of cylinder oil in the company’s RTA, RT-Flex and W-X engines.

This follows what is described by the oil major as the "successful completion of a 2,000 hour field test" in a Wärtsilä 7RTFlex96C engine on board a container ship, including extensive engine inspections and cylinder oil analysis. Mobilgard 5100 helped eliminate cold corrosion in the engine while operating at Wärtsilä’s minimum recommended feed rate of 0.8 grammes per kilowatt hour (g/kWh).

ExxonMobil created Mobilgard 5100, a 100 base number (BN) cylinder oil, in close collaboration with leading marine engine builders. It has been formulated to address the problem of cold corrosion which occurs when engine cylinder temperatures fall below the dew point of the combustion gases, creating the potential to cause significant liner wear.

"The interim No Objection Letter from Wärtsilä is a further indication of how Mobilgard 5100 can effectively protect against costly cold corrosion issues," said Iain White, field marketing manager, ExxonMobil Marine Fuels & Lubricants.

"Mobilgard 5100’s formulation delivers outstanding results at lower feed rates, helping optimise performance in acid neutralisation, deposit control and oxidation stability performance while reducing overall costs."

Mobilgard 5100 already holds a full No Objection Letter from MAN Diesel & Turbo (MAN). "The advanced cylinder oil is proven to perform exceptionally well at very low feed rates, offering the potential for significant cost savings for vessel operators," ExxonMobil said.

Mobilgard 5100 has recently become the first 100 BN cylinder oil to be included on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries recommended Lubricating Oil List. The cylinder oil is the only 100 BN cylinder oil recommended for use in Mitsubishi’s UEC diesel engines when operating conditions require a higher BN cylinder oil.

To help best mitigate the challenge of cold corrosion, ExxonMobil advises vessel operators to obtain a comprehensive understanding of what is occurring in their engines through its MobilGard Cylinder Condition Monitoring (CCM) programme. Wärtsilä and MAN have both issued service letters to customers recommending the use of on-board monitoring - such as MobilGard CCM - to support engine protection and optimum vessel performance.

A recent upgrade to MobilGard CCM means the programme now includes an on-board Corrosion Check Kit which analyses the level of corroded iron salts in the scrape down oil sample, helping operators to quickly identify an engine's liner wear rate due to corrosive wear.

ExxonMobil will be at the SMM 2014 international maritime trade fair in Hamburg, Germany, from Tuesday September 9 to Friday September 12, 2014 at stand A3.317, where representatives will be available to talk about its products and services.

Image: Iain White, field marketing manager, ExxonMobil Marine Fuels & Lubricants.