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Smooth operator

01 October 2015

Al Jomaih Group and Shell have much to celebrate about this year and next, having reached the 30-year milestone this year since production began at their joint venture operation in Riyadh. The joint venture – Al Jomaih and Shell Lubricating Oil Company Limited (Josloc) – has been supplying a wide range of high quality lubricants to Saudi Arabia’s construction and transportation fleet, ensuring efficient operation and minimised downtime.

In addition next year, Al Jomaih Group and Shell will celebrate six decades of their formal partnership as a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. Josloc was formed in October 1956 between AlJomaih Holding Company and Shell Overseas Investment. The company blends, markets and sells Shell lubricants across Saudi Arabia from its high-capacity state-of-the-art lube oil blending plant in Riyadh.

Shell has a long established reputation as a global lubricants producer and supplier dating back to 1943, thereby providing more than 70 years of innovation in cutting-edge technologies. Many of the world’s top automotive companies utilise Shell as the preferred oil, lubricants, greases and hydraulic fluids supplier for their vehicles and fleets.

The Riyadh facility produces a range of Shell lubricants and also imports speciality lubricants from other Shell plants worldwide. Production began in 1985, with Josloc supplying high quality lubricants serving the increasing specialty requirements of the Saudi Arabian market. Over the past three decades, the Riyadh plant has enjoyed an enviable safety record with the company’s performance benchmarked against a range of environmental and social indicators under its Goal Zero safety culture.

In the automotive product sector, Josloc offers the familiar Shell Helix with active cleaning agents; Shell Super Plus Oil, an advanced multigrade oil; and Shell Rotella, a high-quality diesel engine oil. In addition, it provides oils for axle, transmission, bearings, gears, oil pumps and compressors; electrical and gear oils as well as greases, hydraulic fluids, power oil and stationary engine oils, and slideway and turbine oils.

Josloc strongly believes in close technical engagement with its clients by providing a range of technical services and support to enhance the application of high-performance oils and lubricants across the kingdom. Josloc and Shell Global regularly convene specialist seminars in the kingdom to serve its clients in the various sectors. Earlier this summer, Josloc convened a Shell Construction and Fleets Day seminar in Riyadh with presentations from technical specialists from Josloc Saudi Arabia and Shell personnel from The Netherlands and Germany.

The high-powered technical event in Olaya provided the opportunity for more than 50 attendees to better understand and be informed of the technological innovations in Shell oils and lubricants and the latest application developments and partnerships being provided by Josloc to clients across the kingdom. Josloc and its lube analysts help optimise engine performance and efficiency to meet the challenges faced by operators in terms of extending equipment life, reducing lubricants consumption, saving fuel and extending the service intervals.

Discussions were held with operators focusing on road construction, general building construction, earthmoving and other infrastructural requirements. For fleet operators, the specific route patterns whether long or short haul and road conditions either road or off-highway were examined.

After an opening speech by Sherif El Gohary, Josloc and Shell highlighted innovations for applications in construction and fleet operations based upon local, regional and global leadership. The underlying theme of the Riyadh seminar was technical innovation in applications and partnerships to serve the client.

Khalid Mohammed Yassin, the Dammam-based general manager of Josloc B2B (business-to-business) sales, emphasised the importance of technological leadership, innovation and applied research and development, which are the hallmarks of Shell and which continue to make Josloc the preferred lubricant supplier. Yassin has extensive experience in Saudi Arabia’s oils and lubricants sector including marine applications.

The topic of transport lubricants and applications for diesel engine and axle and transmission oils was jointly presented by Hans Wildeboer from Shell Global Solutions in The Netherlands and Nils Richardt from Shell, Germany.

Wildeboer, an automotive engineer, is a products applications specialist for off-highway lubricants. He discussed the trends in engine design and oil development and the impact of global emission legislation particular for off-road applications. He pointed out that very high temperatures are involved in engines with rod bearings approaching 200 deg C, ring belt areas around 240 deg C and pistons about 190 deg C.

”The Shell lubricants and oils are protecting against wear and corrosion and the transport of heat in the engine. The challenge for Shell technologies is to deliver specified frictional characteristics whilst transporting hydrodynamic power under extreme pressures. It is the separation of the moving parts and the cooling powers of oil too, acid neutralisation such as sulphur, keeping the engine clean and reducing deposits in the engine from combustion and wear,” he added.

Richardt highlighted the importance of gear lubrication from his research in developing gear oils for Formula 1 and Ferrari and developing applications in construction and fleets to enhance performance.

“Shifting mechanisms require lubricants to deliver a certain amount of friction. Friction varies and therefore lubricants characteristics must vary too,” he said.

The seminar also detailed the Shell Rimula range of heavy-duty engine oils to meet the requirements of on and off-highway equipment including the latest vehicles fitted with diesel particulate filters (DPF) and catalysts. These heavy-duty oils are developed for construction equipment such as Caterpillar, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Cummins, Deutz and many other leading OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).

The Shell Rimula range provides protection from monogrades to advanced multigrade and low emission oils meeting the requirements and approvals of transport and logistics fleets, bus and coach operators, as well as the construction and agricultural sectors.