A senior official of an Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) subsidiary has called for the outlining of minimum lubricant standards to curb the proliferation of cheap, low-quality products.

Kamal Said, chief operating officer, Enoc International Sales LLC, said more than 80 lubricants were on sale in the UAE alone, of which 75 per cent were unbranded, low-quality productions.
“To meet this challenge and maintain the integrity of our industry, we have to introduce minimum performance standards and a means to monitor lubricant products to ensure customers get sophisticated and reliable products,” said Said at a conference that discussed the outlook for lubricants and baseoils in countries east of Suez.
“As the industry continues to develop more sophisticated, more efficient lubricants designed to protect engines and reduce hazardous exhaust emissions, it is faced with increasing competition from low-cost, poor-quality products, often products without specifications and ones that fail to advise the customer or protect engines while causing pollution,” observed the official.
 He noted that the event was held at a most challenging time for the industry – record prices for raw materials across the entire supply chain and substantial consumer resistance to accepting higher prices.
Enoc, together with Adnoc and Emarat and with support from the international oil majors, is working with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation & Metrology, and the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) for setting up lubricant standards.
The Group’s ‘Partnership in Progress’ programme brings together end users with the aim of developing greater industry co-operation and providing education on the damage that can be caused to machinery by low grade products.
Across its international markets in 26 countries, Enoc is working in partnership with distributors and the industry to get the quality message across.
The conference was one of four specialist sessions held in Dubai during the Middle East Petroleum and Gas Week in early April.