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Gazpromneft-Lubricants - a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft specializing in the production and sale of oils, greases and technical fluids - reports that it sold 7,500 tonnes of marine lubricants in the first half of 2017 - 7.5 percent more than during the corresponding period last year.

The Russian firm noted - as reported previously - that it had recently expanded its supply operation in the Caspain Sea. Earlier this month, the company started performing marine lubricants deliveries in the Caspian Sea port of Makhachkala, located in the Republic of Dagestan, as part of a three-year agreement with Rosmorport. It also supplies marine lube oils in the Caspian Sea port of Astrakhan.

Gazpromneft-Lubricants also explained that the most in-demand products in H1 had been the cylinder engine oils Texaco Taro 30 DP 40 and Delo 1000 Marine 40 for four-stroke marine engines - which are used on icebreakers, tankers, container ships, cruise ships and other types of vessels for main engines and diesel generators.

Another trend this year, Gazpromneft-Lubricants observed, has been the increase in demand for lubricants for marine engines operating on low sulphur and environmentally friendly fuel. The company says it has seen a ninefold increase in sales volume for these products - up to 140 tonnes.

"One of the company's main objectives in 2017 is to improve the technical services level. Work in this direction has already provided an additional increase in sales of premium products. At the same time, with [the] development of instruments for business efficiency enhancement - like optimization of product portfolio through hi-tech marine lube oils launching and sales geography expansion - allows Gazpromneft-Lubricants to maintain [its] leadership in [the] Russian marine lube oil market," Roman Miroshnichenko, Head of marine lube oils business at Gazpromneft-Lubricants.

The Gazprom Neft subsidiary said in February that sales of marine lubricants to ships rose by approximately 6,000 tonnes, or 75 percent, to around 14,000 tonnes last year and that deliveries to foreign ship owners in Russian ports more than doubled to 2,200 tonnes.

The company also claimed that it had increased its market share in the Russian marine oils business by 10 percent in 2016, bringing its total contribution to sales in the country to 36 percent.

Image: Drums of Gazprom lubricants.