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Shell Marine Products plans to leverage its knowledge of two-stroke engine oil stress to launch its latest marine lubricant, Alexia S4.

Alexia S4 is designed to help ship operators to reduce the lifetime operating costs and operational complexity across a wide range of operating conditions, fuel specifications, engine and vessel types.

Commenting on the company's product development strategy for two-stroke engines, Surinderdeep Singh, General Manager, Shell Marine Products, said: "We pioneered the oil-stress concept and have previously defined it in four-stroke engines. This scientific thinking was then applied to two-stroke engines and oil stress was found to differ between four and two-stroke engines. We are now using this knowledge and our industry insights to develop new products with optimum performance for current and future needs. We deliver innovation to our customers' advantage."

He said Shell Marine Products' emphasis on research and development is intended to help customers facing industry pressures such as the need to move goods reliably and at lower cost due to the global economic recession, new legislations on fuel specifications, stringent emission targets and new Emission Control Areas (ECAs).

The launch is timed for 2012, and extensive field trials are already underway.

Shell Marine Products is using its 20 year heritage in oil-stress research and collaboration with customers and Original Equipment Manufacturers to bring to market its latest cylinder oil.

Shell Alexia S4 has been developed in the Marine and Power Innovation Centre (MPIC), Shell's marine testing facility in Hamburg, Germany.