The BP Group, which is among the global leaders in manufacturing of diesel engine oils (DEO), says its number one heavy diesel engine oil (HDEO) conforms to the ACEA E5/CH4 specification and runs at 450 to 500 working hours in generators and off-highway equipment, compared to regular monograde CF and multigrade CF4 which should not run more than 250 working hours.

‘‘In addition to the extended oil life offered by our genuine CH-4 oil, the protection levels along with the use of original or licensed filters protect the engine against wear and tear much more than the older spec oils and helps reduce downtime to a large extent," says Karim Ibrahim, BP Dubai’s regional technical services manager (lubricants).
BP, the oldest lubricant company in the lower Gulf, started oil exploration at the turn of the last century. The Dubai-based Middle East office is responsible for over 20 countries. In the field of construction, the BP Group brands have a healthy large market share.
“The majority of our sales are into the automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and for the diesel engine oil sectors to large transport and off-highway companies whhich follow regular and controlled maintenance programmes,’’ says Ibrahim. ‘‘Our policy and focus is on offering value for money. We work with customers on ensuring minimum lubrication expense while maximising their equipment protection and minimising their downtime and parts expense. While handling our commercial accounts, we do not look at ourselves as just selling an oil but as providers of a comprehensive service that always saves money for customers.’’
Commenting on business, Ibrahim says: ‘‘2003 saw a modest growth despite the Iraq war. Business picked up faster than expected after the war. Though business was slow in the first half of the year, we saw a lot of brisk trading and normalisation of the market in the second half. With the boom in construction in the region, we are seeing very promising figures, particularly in the Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. This year, the regional market for DEO is expected to witness a 20 per cent growth, of which, 75 per cent is expected to be high-end products. Business is expected to increase further, both in terms of volume and uptake of high-quality products, largely because of the influx of modern and high-end machines into the region, he says.
‘‘Customers expectations are increasingly been met because of the existence of representative offices of most of the OEMs in the region. In addition, customers are turning towards high-quality products as they have seen the great financial benefits of using good products,’’ he says.
Commenting on the competition, Ibrahim says: ‘‘The region has two distinct competitive groups: the multinationals and large oil companies selling high-quality products on the one side, and those selling poor-quality products at low prices on the other. Within the multinationals, the competition has remained healthy with everyone adhering to fair pricing and ensuring that the products meet the quality claimed. But the other group comes up with false claims of performance that cost the end-user very serious money in terms of parts, downtime and the oil itself!’’