“The First Africa Lubes & Fuels Conference and Exhibition 2012”

We are delighted to announce that preparations for the AFL Conference “The First Africa Lubes & Fuels Conference and Exhibition 2012” are already underway. The maiden edition was postponed in 2009 due the ill-health situation of former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who was scheduled to open event as the Special Guest of Honour. But we are proud of the endorsement received so far from stakeholders and the commitment to make the event a huge success. The venue and date of the event, however, have not been confirmed yet. This planned conference will be taking place at a time when the industry in Nigeria and many other African countries are experiencing landmark changes. It would be the first time such event is occurring in Nigeria, West Africa sub region and Africa as a whole. The upcoming conference will highlight best practice excellence within the industry. It will be informative with enjoyable panels and workshops. This planned AFL conference will have an expanded exhibition platform which will provide supplier companies with even more exposure. The exhibition will be running concurrent with the meetings during the whole event. There is an increasing interest and commitment already registered by industry operators as the most sought-after commodity. The planned industry event is designed to cover refining, additive, base oil trading and development in Africa, lubricant trends and markets, Fuels development, biofuel, petrochemical and processing industry. Due to our relationships with government and the oil and gas operators in the region, we ensure that the planned event will consistently tap into the key issues affecting the industry and shall bring together the principal influencers in the industry to share their thoughts, ideas and vision with you, our audience. Please we will welcome your feedback as well as any queries you may have regarding participation in AFL 2012.
Email feedback to oilresourceserv@yahoo.com

Fuel Price drops at last (=N=70 to =N=65) !!!

This is the first time in the history of Nigeria fuel price review that market fundamentals are forcing the pump price of fuel down in a country where price of petroleum products never goes down, each time there was need to adjust price-it had always been an upward spiral movement accompanied with its attendant social and economic dislocation. Government had always manually i.e. arbitrarily fix fuel price which is indicative that the downstream oil & gas industry is not yet deregulated. Otherwise fuel price should either go up or down and not be fixed but allowed to be determined by market forces such as cost of refined product, cost of fund/finance, exchange rate, cost of shipment, international crude price, etc. The implication of new development is that Government has demonstrated that it has the will to do what is right, secondly, to alleviate the suffering of the masses and also keep our factories and manufacturing sector, which was near comatose, alive again! Some argue that the move was intended to pass on the benefit of the dropped price to Nigeria public. But I have my little reservation on this- what happens when the international crude price rises up again, will market forces be allowed to naturally jack up prices of domestic price of fuel? And with all the talk of subsidy removal, can it work without unnecessary causing inflation and untold hardship to the poor masses, which depend solely on fossil fuel for virtually everything from to power his car, home, hospitals, to run factories, move farm produce from the hinterland to urban areas? ...Only time will tell!

THE NIGER DELTA- STILL VICTIM OF MISRULE

In 1999, precisely May 29, Nigeria celebrated the dawn of a new era of democracy for their country after more than 15 agonizing years of military misrule. It was indeed a miracle that this country of over 120 million people had mustered courage, shoved aside their political differences and personal deprivations to come together and voted for a democratically elected civilian government, if for no other reason, to put an end to military rule that has left Nigeria fragmented and in tatters politically and economically.

Nigerians collectively irrespective of ethnicity, language, or geographical position in one voice and in one accord solemnly declared, “A bad democracy was better than the best military rule”. Then a new dawn of hope had just lit up the victims of misrule as the newly elected Nigerian leader General Olusegun Obasanjo had promised to turn around the fortunes of this unruly nation that ought to be a beacon for the African Continent.

It’s been almost eight years, after the restoration of democracy, and Nigerians are still battling with very serious socio-economic and political problems. The same General has had two consecutive terms in office yet he could not ensure constant energy supply, our manufacturing based is weak and declining, unemployment level is rising at alarming proportion, increasing social insecurity, crumbling public utilities, a weak private sector, low agricultural production, over-reliance of the economy on a single economic sector and an enduring mass poverty pervade Nigerians today.

One of the enduring legacies that Obasanjo inherited that has remained persistently unresolved, among others; in our national life is the Niger Delta issue. It was a national issue then (in 1999) and still remains so now.

The Niger Delta region which is a geo-political zone occupied mainly by the minorities of Southern Nigeria, plays a significant role in the quest to explore and produce crude oil, which currently is the mainstay of the nation’s economy, accounts for more than 40 percent of Nigeria’s GDP, about three-quarters of State revenue and more than 90 percent of export earnings. Since oil was discovered in the region, the Niger Delta has grown to become one of the world’s leading petroleum provinces with production steadily rising from a modest 5,000 barrels when commercial production began in 1957 at Olibiri and Bomu (parts of the Niger Delta) to the current output of over 2.6 million barrels per day. To date, the cumulative production from the region has reached a total of over 30 billion barrels.

The peculiarities of this region can be best described in terms of its geographical terrain as one of the largest wetlands in the world with an area covering 700,000 square kilometers. It is also characterized by sand coastal ridges barriers, saline mangrove, swamp forest and low land rain forest with the entire area criss-crossed by a large number of rivers, rivulets, streams, canals and creeks while the mainland is prone to flood by the various rivers.

Now, this brings us to the burning issues about the Niger delta; before the advent of oil and transformation engendered by the flow of the natural resource- oil, the Niger Delta was originally a peaceful land, arable for subsistence farming and fishing which were the pre-occupation of these people. Life was better and normal until their farmlands were destroyed with exploration activities. Fishing rivers eventually became polluted and unsafe for any aquatic resource to survive with oil spillages- Their only means of meaningful economic survival and development was forcefully destroyed and taken away from them while the people’s hardship was made worst due to the ecological debasement and environmental hazards of oil exploitation in the region. Yet from it’s sale (oil sales) the nation had earned so much as more than US$300 billion from almost half of a century of oil bonanza, still the people of the Niger Delta live in ravaging abject poverty, no good roads, no adequate potable water, electricity is an albatross, healthcare is in shamble, they can not farm or fish because of land and water pollution due to oil spillage, the children could not go to school and prostitution is disgustingly the booming trade for women and under aged girls. This is pathetic!

The utter neglect of the Niger Delta by successive past government seem to be a deliberate attempt to delist the people and the region from any meaningful development or national integration because no one past government has demonstrated any conscious effort or political will to address the injustices and inequality meted out on a people for more than 40 years.

From the time the British overlords were still ruling, the Niger Delta plight attracted their concern and recommended through the Sir Henry Willink’s Commission’s report in 1958, specifically that the Niger Delta deserves to be a focus area for “special development effort” and “should be developed directly by the Federal Government” the Willink’s recommendation had said. This recommendation was even before oil became the nucleus of the Nigeria economy. But successive government in the country since then had glossed over the Willink’s report with the same “cosmetic approach” which appears not to be different from each government starting with the birth of the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB) in 1960. But the board was never existent before the civil war broke out. After the civil war ended, came the River Basin Development Authority (RBDA) established for the development of the whole country but again never took account of the Commission’s report; Mind you the Niger Delta was already producing crude oil that accounted for a large percentage of the national resource. It was at this time that the initial seed of discontent was sowed and the agitation for the restoration of the Willink’s commission’s recommendation continued by requesting for special attention to be paid to the development of the area and plight of the people. The agitation led to the setting up of a Presidential Task Force which devoted a 1.5 percent of the federal Account to the development of the Niger Delta but like the board before it, not much was made on the region’s development which was characterized by massive corrupt and mismanagement of the fund that lasted from the Alhaji Shehu Shagari era (1979-1983) to the early years of the General Ibrahim Babangida administration (1985-1993).

With sustained agitation from the people Niger Delta, it took all sorts of frightening dimensions which led to Babangida setting up the Belgore Commission whose agenda was to identify the root causes of the intractable communal crises and discord in the oil producing areas and proffer solutions. It was Belgore Commission’s recommendation that led to the establishment of Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1993. Like any other body before it, OMPADEC suffered and failed with the usual straits of corruption, bad leadership and mismanagement of funds. It was the regime of late General Sani Abacha in 1998, when youths participated in the infamous two million march in Abuja for Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA). Many of these youths had been mobilized from the Niger Delta, to their chagrin and utmost surprise, they marveled at the level of development in Abuja compared with what they (Niger Deltans) had in their area. On returning to their swampy home, they intensified the “struggle” for better development and attention in the Niger delta which had eluded them and had since assumed an ugly dimension with incessant attack on oil workers, the spate of youth restiveness and violence had metamorphosed into militancy, arm proliferation, killings, hostage-taking and kidnapping of oil workers in various multinational firms operating in the region. There was vandalism of pipelines. This was the situation in the Niger Delta before May 29, 1999 when the then newly elected democratic government was sworn-in. And this is still the situation now.

Infact, the situation has grown out of proportion which is evident by the current spate of violence in the region, precipitating into government using ‘force to suppress’ the perceived opposition rather than ‘address’ the causes of utter neglect and underdevelopment of the region. Needless to say, this did not work! There are clear indication that government’s first attempt to deal with the problem by using ‘force’ to free hostages in the Niger Delta led to the death of a British oil worker and three others last year 2006.

Even more worrisome is the fact that multinational oil companies operating in the nation’s upstream sector are no longer at ease and have concluded plans to compulsorily withdraw foreign workers from their oil field locations, and to locate their corporate Headquarters in the Niger Delta to Lagos; Just as this is happening other foreign investors are skeptical about doing business in Nigeria as they do not appear keen any longer to stay or come to Nigeria because of the “state of insecurity”. The Federal government reluctance to resolve the crisis rocking the nation’s oil & gas sector, the very single national revenue earner, is an indictment to Obasanjo’s PDP led government and constitute a sabotage to the sovereignty of the Nigerian State, and therefore should have resigned from the Office of the Presidency long before the 2007 General election as unfit and lacking in the political will to resolve the Niger Delta crisis. This no doubt has dealt a fatal blow to our national pride and image.

Another election year 2007 is here, with very grave uncertainty about if the presidential poll election hold or not, one is reminded of the ‘promise’ which the incumbent president had made in 1999 during his campaign visit to the Niger delta region, in which he had promised to urgently address the development needs of the area. That promise was not kept till date but has remained a lip service or perhaps another “vote-seeking politician’s talk”. The Niger Delta issue again would become a legacy that the new incoming civilian government will inherit come May 29, 2007.

In 1999, the then outgoing military regime of General Abdulsallam had barely been able to keep the bloody crisis in the Niger Delta from development into a full-scale civil war. Only the Grace of God has been saving this country from the brink of disintegration, else the horrors of Rwanda and Yugoslavia are already here staring at us in the face waiting for the last straw . . . any “mistake” to transit power to another recycled military man in ‘human skin’ according to the great Fela or to a civilian with the ‘straits and trails’ of fulfilling and perpetuating the military agenda or those of the northern political hegemony. . . will finally destroy Nigeria.

Since General Obasanjo took up the mantle of leadership of this ‘great’ nation, the trouble in the Niger Delta has not ‘gone’ away yet. The Niger Delta crisis is not what you can ‘wish’ away. For past decades, these minorities have scampered for the crumbs that fell from the table of misrule between successive government which had only succeeded in demonstrating sheer criminality and corruption rather than demonstrate the political will to address the region’s problem with the same sagacity that brought about Abuja FCT accelerated transformation and development within a short space of time. We are all witnesses to the various commissions and boards established to development Niger Delta without having any meaningful impact or positive result on the people and region. Until federal government revisits the Willink Commission’s recommendation’s report and implements it as so prescribed i.e. to be handled as a federal ministry, the problem in the region will continue to linger on.

Mr. President, you cannot discard the Niger Delta people’s protest as a lay-protest to foment trouble in the oil-rich region just because they are exercising their constitutional and human rights, which had been denied of them for 50 years. It’s been 50 years of neglect, injustices, inequality, misrule and squandering the nation’s economic resources at the expense of their constitutional existence as a people (nation) in the Nigeria State and well-being, Or how else would you explain the plight and grievances of these minority ethnic groups, who happen to be the proverbial goose that lays Nigeria’s golden egg but lags behind in the share of basic social infrastructure and other opportunities in the oil sector?

It has been another eight years of breeding ‘dirty’ scoundrels at all levels of government characterized this present administration- a nation where those at the helm of affair were indicted for corruption? It’s a slap on the face of Nigerian electorates who voted them into office. What decency do they have seeking to be re-elected or even campaigning for others who would easily go in to cover up their predecessor’s ‘shit’ once elected, or to consolidate on the same trade-in-stock?
The people of the Niger Delta have, by implication, been vindicated in their struggle and commitment for resource control, if the President and his Vice-President could be indicted for corruption and abuse of office. The much-taunted commitment of this present administration in addressing the Niger Delta agitation has been obviously express by its rapacity for PTDF monies supposedly envisaged for developing the region. This assaults morality and sense of justice to deprive the people of Niger Delta, afflicted daily with oil and gas pollution, of the benefits of their resources, while those saddled with the responsibility to manage such fund (PTDF) for the collective benefit, regale themselves in mismanagement, corruption and self-enrichment. Thanks for Fasawe’s exposition to the Senate Ad-hoc committee and its committee recommendation’s report on PTDF scandal.

The people of Niger Delta have watched patiently, for over 40 years, at how those who have no oil on their lands and do not know what they have suffered from the adverse effects of exploitation thereof, engage in profligacy of oil resources simply in the name of ‘one Nigeria’, or perhaps because they found themselves at the helm of affairs of Nigeria.

Today, the country’s social and economic backwardness especially the underdevelopment (neglect) witnessed in the Niger Delta should be blamed on the political domination by the northern ethnic groups especially the Hausa/Fulani. These ruling predatory elites who claim it’s their “birth right” to keep ruling Nigeria, do so with the insatiety to feed on the oil revenue using all sorts of corrupt means to appropriate the resource, and would always hijack power criminally through either a coup d’etat, or the subversion of the constitution, or massive electoral rigging. These stolen oil wealth are public fund stashed away in private individual pockets and foreign bank accounts while leaving the people of the Niger delta and the nation at large the more impoverished.

Nigerians shall by May 29, 2007 witness the first civilian-to-civilian transition of power; the new leader will take over a nation enmeshed in political and economic crisis. But who would this leader be? We need the intervention of God to send us a “messiah” that will bring this disenfranchised nation back to its rightful place in the comity of nations, and not to recycle dishonest and rapacious ruling elites that have plundered this country, distorted the economy and destroy the fabric of Nigerian society. They are like ill wind that does no good to any anyone!

The wind of change is here again to cleanse the land of misrule, grave corruption and atrocities . . . Do you want a change or continuation of misrule or corruption? It’s your destiny to be an agent of change, to resist the opposing ‘ill-wind’ that’s about to blow again that has never done any good to the Niger Delta people and the nation as a whole. Now is the time, use your vote to bring about the change, your vote is your right to change these greedy elites out, your right to stop another possible four years of misrule, it’s your right to stop being victim of misrule…vote wisely. Do not sell your vote; else you will be mortgaging your future and those of your yet unborn. Vote responsibly!!

Note: This article of mine was first published on Factfinder news magazine before the April 2007 presidential election in Nigeria.

HOW CAN I UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER AND LETTER SYSTEMS USED TO RATE MOTOR OILS?

In this edition, we shall consider the least understood part among the information displayed on the label of typical lube containers. It also forms the most asked questions usually from motorists (and mechanic alike) as regards the ‘number’ and ‘letter’ systems used to rate motor oils.

Most people know nothing about the number/letter systems used to rate motor oil they use in their car engine but they should! Some motorists think it’s too technical to grasps while others say it’s the responsibility of mechanics to know. But the truth is that, even the mechanics that ought to know to better, do not know any more about car than they (drivers) do.

It is your right to know whether as a motorist, mechanic or an automobile enthusiast. You owe it to yourself and your car to know just how the ‘number’ and ‘letter’ systems work.

In this article, I have provided you with an easy but simple guide to understand the number and letter systems used to rate motor oils. For every container of motor oil you see or buy from a lube shop or auto-parts shop, you will find two vital parameters printed on it, used by the lubricant industry. They are the API and SAE symbols. Both symbols say meaningfully different things about the oil, and at the same time act as a guide to selecting the right oil for your car. Therefore you should pay more attention to this article.

Firstly, the American Petroleum Institute sets the API symbol that uses the ‘letter’ system for identifying the vehicle fuel type and quality level of the motor oil. The API symbol therefore uses two letters. The ‘first letter’ indicates the vehicle fuel type for which the oil is designed. Ratings that therefore begin with an “S” are intended for petrol engines whereas ratings that begin with a “C” are meant for diesel-powered engines. The ‘second letter’ that is attached to the first letters whether “S” or “C” designates the quality level of the motor oil. Now, the higher the second letter, (which uses alphabetical letters in increasing order to demonstrate the quality level of the oil), the more advanced the oil and the more protection it offers your engine. What this implies is, for instance, an SM motor oil can be used in any petrol-powered engine where an SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ or SL oil was originally specified. And the same goes for diesel-powered engine, for example, CG-4 oil can be used in diesel fuel-powered engine where CA, CB, CC, CD, CH, CF, CF-2, or CH-4 oil has been required. It should be noted that from SA to SD and CA to CD motor oils (quality levels) are now obsolete in the international lubricant market.

Secondly, SAE symbol is the next parameter printed on the label of oil containers to be considered. The Society of Automotive Engineers sets the SAE viscosity grade. The SAE grades are usually referred to as viscosity or oil weight, that says how thick or thin an oil is. It is also a measure of oil’s thickness or resistance to flow. The SAE viscosity grade uses “number” system and sometimes with a letter ‘W’ which connotes winter. The SAE viscosity grade rates oil based upon the temperature requirements. The temperature requirement set for oil by SAE is 0 degree Fahrenheit (low) and 210 degree Fahrenheit (high). Oils meeting the SAE’s low temperature requirement have a ‘W’ symbol after the viscosity rating or number (e.g. 10W), and oils that meet the high ratings ‘no letter’ or the ‘W’ (e.g. SAE 30, SAE 40, SAE 50). What this implies is that the 10W oils will not freeze at low temperature at 0 degree Fahrenheit but will still be liquid enough for cold starts in winter. And that the SAE 30, 40, 50 oils will still be thick enough when the engine is hot in the tropical regions without necessarily loosing its lubricity. Since oils really get thinner when heated, and thicker when cooled, most of us use what are called multi-grades or multi-viscosity oils without really knowing why or the benefits for selecting so! There are two types of motor oils, thus mono-grade and multi-grade. Due to the wide variations in temperature requirements, one cannot set out to use monograde oil in winter, because it will be too thick and will not flow to engine part during cold start. But you can use multi-grade oil in both the winter season and hot weather of the tropical. Multi-grade is the answer to variations in temperature requirement occurring in oil. Multi-grade oils such as 10W 30 are designed to have the viscosity of an SAE 10W oil at cold temperatures combined with the viscosity of an SAE 30 oil at engine operating temperature (high). The “W”symbol or winter designation indicates that the oil meets viscosity requirements for low temperatures (below 30 degree Fahrenheit).

We strictly advise that when choosing an oil, that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendation (manual). We welcome your questions or comments, please send us a text or email message and we shall respond to it promptly.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT LUBRICANT FOR YOUR CAR ENGINE

Why do you leave the selection of oil in the hands of those who may not know any more than you do? How did you choose the oil you are presently using in your car engine? Do you rely on mechanics or the auto-parts sellers to make that selection? The truth is that when you engage most of these mechanics on why choose 20W50 oil over an SAE 40/50, or let them explain what informed their decision, they will just fumble and falter. For the auto-parts sellers, it’s a sales repertoire to lure uninformed motorists (and mechanics alike) to buy from a brand of motor oil- worst of all, they cannot demonstrate what SAE or API or the difference between 20W50 and SAE40/50 means. This is responsible for the poor lubrication awareness among motorists.

I have often deferred in opinion about the selection of oil that you don’t have to be a mechanic, or be trained as a tribologist or lubrication engineer before you can understand how to choose the right oil for your car engine!

Recently, in a lubrication seminar organized by Tribology Society of Nigeria, TSN, the chairman of the seminar, a veteran in the business of lubrication and lubricants described a scene during his marketing days as a sales rep in 70s, how he had taken a delivery of some lubes to a customer and was shocked by the unconventional method deployed the customer to test the oils he supplied- the customer was physically tasting each oil by putting a finger into the oil and actually touching the oil to his tongue, saying ‘this one, good! this one, no good!’ Perhaps the customer had wanted to detect the ph level of the oil. But then, this is absolutely WRONG.
For more information on Passing The Tongue Taste, visit my Blog at http://lubewatchafrica.blogspot.com


My friend once told me a story of how he had gone to a roadside mechanic to have his car engine serviced but was surprised when the mechanic condemned the fresh can of motor oil that he had bought, by just dipping his finger into the oil and actually trying to feel the oil texture. He turned to him and declared, ‘this oil, e no good’. Again this practice of selecting oil is wrong!

Our aim here shall be to provide correct information for choosing the right oil for your engine lubrication needs. In this edition, we attempt to demonstrate how this number and letter systems can aid in the selection of oil for different applications in the car. You should be paying more attention to this article because at the end you will not need a mechanic or auto-parts seller to guide you in choosing the right oil for your engine.

Knowing how to select the right motor oil will help you get optimum performance out of your car. It is an art that will require learning the skill (information) and practice (training). But many motorists will agree with me that choosing the right oil is most difficult task because they neither know what to look out for nor have the right information to guide their decision of choice.

There are four pieces of information that will educate you on how to choose the right oil your engine lubrication needs.

First, as a motorist, you are supposed to have a clear understanding of how lubricating systems in a car work e.g. car engine. This is crucial to the selection of a lubricant for a particular application. For instance you cannot choose grease as the lubrication need for the gearbox system (as being practiced by some mechanics till today), nor motor oil for use in the wheel-bearing system. These practices are wrong and will cause problem to the lubricating systems concerned.

Second, in the October article titled, how can I understand the number and letter systems used to rate oils, I did discuss two symbols to look out for on a motor oil label when shopping for the oil to use in your engine crankcase system. The two symbols are API service rating and SAE viscosity grade. I am not going into details about how the symbols work in rating oil here (refer to the article in my blog at http://lubewatchafrica.blogspot.com). However, the API service rating uses letters to identify two important information namely, the vehicle fuel-type that the oil is designed for, and the quality level of the motor oil. Consequently the API & SAE ratings help consumers (motorists) identify quality engine oils for their petrol and diesel powered vehicles. These parameters also explains the reference of a multi-grade oil to mono-grade oil, therefore read up the details from my blog website at http://lubewatchafrica.blogspot.com

Third, is the good, better, best model to determine what to choose. There are major differences in motor oils, but you shall learn more about other differences in motor oil apart from mono-grades and multi-grades that will further dispel the mystique surrounding choosing the right oil. However choosing the right oil can have a major impact on how well your car runs. As a result, the cheapest and quickest way to improve your car’s performance and reliability is by understanding the art involved in selecting the right oil.
Therefore the best and easiest way to select motor oil is to follow the good, better, best model as postulated by some industry authorities. This model tries to examine each motor oil type from the basestock used, price, availability (predominance) and performance.
The Good: These are mineral-based motor oils. They are the regular type, the cheapest and most widely available oils. They typically use standard additive package that provide minimum levels of performance and protection.
The Better: They are synthetic-blend motor oils. These motor oils are blended from the finest stock of mineral oil. They are fairly expensive than the mineral-based oils and are still widely available. Their performance advantages come predominantly from the synthetic base nature. They have a longer service life and offer some improvement in protection relative to the pure mineral-based motor oils.
The Best: High performance synthetic motor oils are the most technologically advanced oils. They significantly outperform mineral-based or synthetic-blend motor oils but are more expensive than the synthetic-blends and mineral-based oils. They are typically only available through leading manufacturers’ point of sale, selected oil change centers and some organized auto-repair garages. These oils primarily differ in their uses of more advanced proprietary additive technologies.

Fourth, we advise that you should follow your vehicle’s manual for recommendation of motor oil choice to guard against voiding your warranty and causing problems to your car.

Your feedback, comment or complaint is important to us, please send a mail to the email address at autolubetalk@yahoo.com

The Essence Of Blending Mineral Oil Popularly known as Base oil

Have you ever heard of this expression that ‘oil na oil’? It is a phrase you will often hear some vehicle owners use when they want to convince their mechanics to probably go ahead and use base oil as lube which they bought from roadside oil sellers. Other times, you may hear auto-parts sellers also use those same words to falsely persuade motorists and mechanics alike to buy an ‘unknown brand’ of lubricant from them against the wishes of the buyers.

This expression is very typical of those motorists who do not have knowledge of what oil is all about and how it works whether in the engine or other lubricating systems also found in the car.

It is like saying that ‘all medicine (tablets) is the same!’ But this is wrong and an incorrect assertion. A tablet that may sooth pains may not exactly be the same tablet that will heal stomach upset or cancer of the breast and therefore different tablet(s) with different composition may be required to perform the latter. This is exactly what is obtainable in the oil (lubricant) world too!

In this issue, we want to find out why base oil (mineral oil) is blended before it can be considered commercially suitable for consumption or use in your engine and other mechanical components in the car. And we want to use this article to educate motorists of the dangers of using base oil straight as a finished lube.

Mineral oil is the generic term for lubricant (oils) when they are still in unblended form or unadditized. However, mineral oil when blended is called a lubricant and may take the form of a liquid, semi-liquid or even solid. Oftentimes, marketers, to refer to their blended grades of oil products use the phrase ‘lube’

The reasons for blending mineral oil- that is one of the by-products of distillation processes of crude oil- are simply for protection and performance of equipment, identifying specific applications and functions, branding, marketing and segmentation. So, it is not likely that unblended base oil would probably have served as an all-purpose lubrication, that is, working as a motor oil as well as gear oil, brake-fluid, hydraulic oil, shock-absorber fill oil, etc all at the same time. But this would have been terrible and absolutely impossible!

Nevertheless, we cannot undermine the importance of “blending mineral oil”- but again, there is a contrary message those hawking base oil as lube are preaching that ‘oil na oil’ to their unsuspecting customers (motorists) who patronize them on daily basis without any knowledge of the danger it poses to their engines. This implies that they are passing unblended base oil as engine oil without being fortified with additives.

In today’s world of highly sophisticated machines (cars), these machines are made up of different components performing variable functions which requires recommended and entirely different blends of oil products, and not unblended base oil, in order to meet certain functionality and specific applications within the machine.

Consequently, emphasis should be placed on the significance of using branded lubes and also patronizing well blended lubes as against the infamous use of straight mineral oil as finished lubes to unsuspecting motorists.

The basic difference between a blended oil product and mineral oil is the inevitable presence of additives introduced to the mineral oil. Additives are chemical substances that impact certain properties or qualities into the base oil to give it a characteristic function in application so that this newly achieved blend of oil product will only be suitable for that specific function/application it was designed.

For instance, engine oil will differ strictly from gear oil in function and properties as the former is recommended only for use in the crankcase system while the latter is meant for use only in the gear box system, and nowhere else! Similarly, penetrating oil just like gear oil or brake-fluid does have its own specific area of application(s), so that in functionality and in additive package (requirement) it will be strictly different from those of other blends.

Now, you must have learnt that there is no such thing as ‘oil na oil’ but just an erroneous sales repertoire used by quacks, and you should therefore be dissuaded from the use of base oil as lubes. This column advocates strict adherence to recommended uses of lubes should be best practice in order to ensure protection and longevity of engine system and other components in the car.

Do you have a comment or complaint, please text or email it to me and it shall be treated promptly.

My email: autolubetalk@yahoo.com

Beware of base oil sold as engine oil- the number (1) substandard oil in Nigeria

In this edition, we want to bring the attention of the motoring public to the illegal sales of base oil as engine oil, and to warn that API: SA rated motor oil brand is actually available in Nigeria and the fact that many motorists use it in their vehicles without any knowledge of the impending danger they are causing to their precious car engines.

It is no longer a new sight on our streets and major roads to find roadside sales of unblended base oil as engine oil to unsuspecting motorists, mechanics and okada riders (local parlance for commercial motorcycle riders), especially in areas spotted for high traffic jams. These activities are illegal and unethical! Despite the fact that hawking in traffic jams on our local highways is highly prohibited and constitute traffic offence, their activities have continued to thrive and proliferate from urban areas to even the rural settlements unabated.

Surprisingly, some motorists consider the presence of these roadside oil hawkers as a welcomed development and big relief! A danfo bus driver (local parlance for commercial bus driver) once narrated his experience to me- how the presence of a roadside base oil hawking had saved his day. He was traveling to Ilorin town from Lagos and somewhere along the lonely highway of Ondo, the oil pressure of his bus had suddenly dropped, indicating that he urgently needed to top-up. He needed to buy a gallon of genuine engine oil, which was only available at a petrol station about15 mile away from where he had abruptly stopped the journey due to the sharp drop in the oil level. He said half a mile down the road, he spotted a roadside unblended oil hawker, who provided him with 4-litres of base oil in order to replenish the dropped volume.

Do you know the damage such unblended oil might cause to that bus engine? Some engines may be subjected to top-up due to the ages of such engines, but the inter-mingling of oils could be very dangerous to engines because different oils have different formulas and chemistry for the additives used. For instance, once you top-up a lube with unblended base oil or a particular lube with another type of lube, the type of chemical reactions that such engines will undergo remains untold. It is advisable to always use the same type of lube for your engine. These days, some leading lube manufacturers have now come up with smaller lube pack sizes from 500ml, 1litres to 2litres in order to forestall the inter-mingling of oil.

Unfortunately, only a few motorists are aware of the dangers of using unblended base oil as lube, even under an emergency they would not be compelled to buy or use base oil in their car engines!

The contention is that, what they are selling to unsuspecting motorists in the pretext that “oil na oil”, is really base oil, and base oil naturally is unadditized and not a lubricant- this means that unblended base oil has no additives and as such can not guarantee engine protection. The inevitable presence of additives blended with base oil produces lubricant (lube), while it is additives that give base oil a characteristic function in application so that the newly achieved blend of oil product becomes suitable for engine operation. Thousands of engines of several vehicle brands in Nigeria have suffered setbacks and failures resulting from sludge problems, which are simply caused by the use of inferior lubricants or base oil used as lubes in these engines.

Most vehicle owners are horrified to learn that the oils they bought from roadside unblended oil hawkers and installed into their vehicles, are inferior, not protected and will damage their engines. One would have thought that with all those government agencies (DPR, SON) and consumer watchdog organizations, someone would have done something about it by now or at least expose the TRUTH to the motoring public.

Another form that base oil has been subtly sold straight as engine oil to the uninformed motoring public unchecked, is the importation of a particular motor oil brand rated API: SA by some unscrupulous businessmen to sell unblended oil. The fact that it is packaged in beautiful cans does not make it a better motor oil to buy (or use). Don’t be deceived!

Ninety-nine percent of motorists who patronize this API: SA rated motor oils have no idea what they are buying into their car engines, that, it is actually base oil and nothing else! Did I hear you say, how can that be?

Let me explain! In 1960, when the American Petroleum Institute (API that sets oil quality standard) decided to come up with the API motor oil quality-rating scheme, they decided to start with the letter ‘A’ to represent motor oil that is basically base oil (mineral oil) with no additives added to it. So that the lowest possible API rating for motor oil is API: SA – this rating is obsolete and it is rating for which no testing is required, as it is same thing as pure mineral oil with nothing else in it. It does not have any of the following additives to protect and improve the performance of the engine such as antioxidants which controls oxidation, dispersants control sludge and varnish, anti-wear agents minimizes valve train wear, anti-foamants retard foaming in oil, anti-corrosion prevention corrosion, lubricity additives improves metal wetting, viscosity modifiers, etc. These additives are very essential for reliable engine operation if well-blended motor oil is to be utilized.

Furthermore, API: SA motor oils were supposed to be used on low compression automobile engines, which were manufactured around the 1930s. With the 21st century high-tech trends, it will be a disaster and unsatisfactory to attempt to use an API: SA rated motor oil in today’s sophisticated car engines.

Incidentally, enough API: SA rated motor oils are imported, and sold in Nigeria on daily basis to satisfy a growing population of users (motorists). Perhaps, the reason for its thriving patronage may not be unconnected with the fact that it is too thick in texture and also comes as SAE 40 viscosity (which are boldly written on their containers).

Surprisingly, in Nigeria, when an oil is ‘too thick’, it is easily misunderstood as good quality oil. But on the contrary, high quality oils these days come very light in viscosity and yet performs excellently well. This wrong mentality has really affected the general acceptance of the state-of-the-art oils (lubes), hence the attraction for base oil. There is yet another wrong mentality about the way many motorists assess oil, they are apt to say that ‘oil na oil!’ Meaning that whether it is base oil or well-blended lubricant, they are all one and the same thing- this is a wrong assumption.

Currently, in the lube market, you have better motor oils with better API: SF, SG, SH, SL which are very common to come by. But API: SM rating is the best in the market, and only a few oil majors already produce it. Note also that API: SA, SB, SC and SD quality ratings are now obsolete in the industry.

It has been argued that many consumers, who patronize any of the inferior oils, do so because they claim that the unblended base oil and API: SA rated motor oil are sold cheaper than the genuine lubricant products. For instance, some users buy base oil for as low as =N=700 per gallon as against =N=1,200 per 4litres of a typical genuine engine oil, but might end up spending over =N=15,000 to repair the resultant damage done to the engine. So, in reality, using a genuine well-blended lube gives you a rest of mind to know that you are not going to suffer any breakdown and you will not be spending more on maintenance than you ought to!

However, now you know better, and know that each time you buy an API: SA rated motor oil, you are actually paying for a product (unblended base oil) that is 77-years out of date for modern cars. Would you strive to buy the highest possible quality rating, or would you rather choose the lowest possible quality? The choice is your!

The sales of unblended base oil as engine oil is quite a menace and has become the number one substandard oil sold in Nigeria. How can the motoring public be protected?

Since the importation and sales of API: SA rated motor oil to unsuspecting consumers has remained unchecked by the relevant authorities (SON, DPR); in our opinion, it is an ill practice to sell this product without displaying proper information. They should at least label such product with a warning label such as “CAUTION: This oil is rated API: SA. It contains No additives and not suitable for use in petrol powered automotive engines built after 1930. Such use in modern engines may cause unsatisfactory engine performance or equipment harm.”
This way any motorist or mechanic, who attempts to buy it, will be doing so out of his own volition. And so, my only advice to the motoring public is become educated on motor oil quality. This column also advocates that vehicle owners adhere strictly to vehicle manufacturer recommended motor oil quality rating to guide their choice of oil quality to be used.

Unfortunately, only a few motorists are aware of the dangers of using unblended base oil as lube, even under an emergency they would not be compelled to buy or use base oil in their car engines!

On the other hand, the illegal activities of both the roadside hawkers of unblended oil and importers of API: SA rated motor oil are undermining the efforts of genuine manufacturers of lubricants while the economic and mechanical hazards it poses to the country and patronizing motorists respectively remains untold.

We encourage motorists to spend time to educate themselves on motor oils by keeping a tab on this column every month. Do you have a comment or complaint, please you can text or email it to me and it shall be attended to promptly.
“For sound driving insist on genuine lubricants! Don’t use base oil as lube!! Don’t patronize roadside sale of base oil