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ExxonMobil, Fathom Maritime Intelligence issue report on future of cylinder oil lubrication

ExxonMobil, Fathom Maritime Intelligence issue report on future of cylinder oil lubrication
Oil major ExxonMobil and the marine consultancy Fathom Maritime Intelligence have jointly come up with a report that examines the future of cylinder oil lubrication and provides advice to help vessel operators make informed decisions regarding their current and future cylinder oil choices.

The release of the report was announced at SMM 2016 in Hamburg on Wednesday.

ExxonMobil pointed out that cylinder lubrication is becoming an increasingly complex part of day-to-day vessel management, not to mention environmental regulations and a move to slow steaming have complicated engine operations.

Such developments have made it important for vessel operators to understand how the impacts on cylinder oil selection to help optimise engine performance and reduce costs, according to ExxonMobil.

“The impending cut to the global marine fuel sulphur cap to 0.5% will pose a further challenge for the marine industry, and the need to switch fuels when entering and leaving emission control areas (ECAs) remains an operational complexity,” said Iain White, global marketing manager, marine fuels and lubricants for ExxonMobil.

“Add in the growing influence of the energy efficiency design index (EEDI) and NOx regulations and it’s clear that vessel operation has never been more complex,” he said.

The report provides cylinder oil best practises, which can help minimise maintenance and optimise engine operation through the selection of the most appropriate lubricant. It also highlights the increased importance of initiating an effective monitoring programme, such as MobilGard Cylinder Condition Monitoring, in order to better understand how the changing marine fuels landscape is affecting engine and cylinder oil performance.

“Choosing the most suitable cylinder oil is increasingly complicated – that’s why we’ve collaborated on this report,” said Alison Jarabo, managing director of Fathom Maritime Intelligence. “By combining ExxonMobil’s lubricant expertise with our marine industry understanding we have been able to create a comprehensive document that can help vessel operators exploit our combined insights and knowhow.”