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Shell Lubricants has launched a lubricants bulk storage facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) in Dubai, which will be used to store product for the marine market.

The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated on Sunday 7th February and was attended by key officials from both Shell and Jafza.

The new investment increases Shell Lubricants' bulk finished product storage capacity by 550 metric tonnes, according to local reports, and brings the total capacity to 2000 metric tons, including barge and third party storage.

The Jafza facility will cater for local and international demand for marine lubricants as well as growing demand for commercial lubricants.

Commenting on the launch, Amr Adel, General Manager, Shell Lubricants Middle East, South Asia and East, said, “We are proud to launch this new lubricants storage facility with our partners in Jafza. This investment highlights our commitment to ensuring high quality lubricants supply to our distributors in the local as well as regional markets. The increased storage capacity substantially reduces lead times and improves supply continuity by maintaining stocks of all major lubricants grades.”

Ibrahim Al Janahi, Chief Commercial Officer, Jafza said: “We are very pleased to play host to Shell Lubricant’s new state-of-the-art facility in Jafza. I am confident that Jafza’s efficient logistics base and related services will further facilitate Shell Lubricants expanded operations and business in the region.”

News of Shell Lubricants' investment in Jebel Ali follows the launch in November 2009 of a lubricants complex in China to meet growing demand in the country.

Located in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, the blending plant will be Shell's sixth in China and will produce marine, consumer, transport and industrial lubricants, targeted at the Chinese market.

With a production capacity of 50 million gallons a year, and the potential for a phased development to 100 million gallons a year, the complex could become one of Shell's top three lubricants blending plants worldwide in volume terms.

Shell Lubricants manufactures and blend products for use in a range of applications, from consumer motoring to mining and power generation to commercial transport. Shell's portfolio of lubricant brands includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, Shell Rotella T, Shell Helix, Shell Rimula, Shell Tellus, Monarch, a portfolio of car care products and Jiffy Lube®. Shell has leading lubricants research centers around the world: in Germany, Japan, UK, and the US, plus a new presence in India.