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Total's new Asia Pacific blending plant in Singapore produced its first batch of Total Lubmarine products on December 17th.

Commenting on the news, Andrew Knox, Total Lubmarine's Asia-Pacific General Manager, said: "Now that our Singapore blending facility is up and running, we can cater more effectively for our growing Asian customer base. The ability to load and unload raw materials and products via a bespoke jetty directly linked to the blending plant has significantly reduced our production process lead times and enables us to respond to big surges in demand in a more agile manner."

Located at Tuas, Singapore, the plant opened in July 2015 and is Total's largest with an annual production capacity of 310,000 metric tonnes.

The Asia-Pacific region already accounts for more than 50 percent of Total Lubmarine's sales and with increasing shipping flows through the area, demand is growing. The blending plant supplies this demand and has been built in conjunction with a new import/export jetty enabling direct access to the sea, meaning that raw materials and finished products can be easily unloaded/loaded to delivery and supply vessels.

Total Lubmarine has three 900-deadweight-tonne (dwt) double-hulled barges operated by its logistics partner Ocean Tankers. These customised barges will now be able to take on products for delivery at the Tuas jetty, taking advantage of its independent pipelines and close proximity to the Western sector and Jurong sector anchorages off Singapore.