SHELL INTRODUCES A REVOLUTION IN MOTOR OIL: SHELL HELIX ULTRA WITH SHELL PUREPLUS TECHNOLOGY

London, 12 June 2014: Shell Lubricants announced the worldwide launch of a next generation motor oil, Shell Helix Ultra with Shell PurePlus Technology – the company’s most advanced motor oil ever, featuring a base oil designed from natural gas.

Pioneering an entirely new way to produce premium motor oils, Shell Helix Ultra uses a revolutionary gas-to-liquid (GTL) process to design pure, synthetic base oil which delivers higher levels of cleansing and protection.

Shell PurePlus Technology converts natural gas into a crystal-clear base oil with virtually none of the impurities found in crude oil for use in premium, synthetic lubricants. Base oils are the main component of finished motor oils, making up on average 75-90% of the end product. This next generation base oil is then enhanced with Shell’s unique additive ingredients to create the company’s most advanced fully synthetic motor oil ever; Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology.

Speaking at the global launch event at the Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam – where the revolutionary Shell PurePlus Technology is designed, Selda Gunsel, Vice President of Downstream Global Commercial Technology at Shell said: “Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology represents a huge step forward. The way motor oils are produced has not changed for decades – now, we have unveiled a new motor oil that surpasses our previous lubricant technology, which is why we are confident when we say that no other engine oil keeps your engine closer to factory clean. Shell Helix Ultra with revolutionary PurePlus Technology harnesses the power of gas to produce the next generation motor oils, bringing together over 40 years of research and development in one new oil.”

Shell PurePlus Technology allows Shell to design the molecules that go into the motor oil, using chemical engineering to manufacture long chains of carbon molecules that are the ideal starting point to create pure, clean base oils. Because the base oil has been produced from natural gas at a molecular level it is a significantly more stable product than conventional base oils, which gives the finished motor oil lower volatility and better low-temperature flow properties. Shell PurePlus Technology base oils have consistently lower viscosity at cold temperatures (-25˚ to -40C˚) so they start lubricating your engine straight away from a cold start. These properties translate into important performance benefits for the engine, including improved cleaning, wear protection, and fuel economy.

“Starting with natural gas, Shell scientists are able to engineer the molecules to create a base oil with specific properties and characteristics. When this base oil is then combined with the carefully crafted additive package, it creates superior motor oils that offer a level of cleaning and protection not possible with lesser base oils,” said Robert Sutherland, Shell Helix Global Technology Manager. “Shell PurePlus Technology has also paved the way for the next generation of motor oils by offering possibilities for new viscosity grades. So far, this has enabled us to create the Shell Helix Ultra 0W-range, and we are already working on future developments.”

Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology is designed to meet the needs of the latest engines. The range combines Shell PurePlus Technology with Active Cleansing Technology to deliver higher levels of protection against build-up of engine deposits and unsurpassed sludge protection². The product also provides superior wear and corrosion protection3 which can help to extend engine life and reduce maintenance costs. Fuel economy benefits vary with viscosity grade, but certain products within the Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology range can deliver an improvement of up to 3% in fuel economy4.

Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology meets the most modern industry specifications and has received approvals from leading vehicle and engine manufacturers across the world5.

Shell PurePlus Technology base oils are produced at the Pearl GTL plant in Qatar; a partnership between Shell and Qatar Petroleum. This facility is the world’s largest gas-to-liquids facility, and can produce approximately one million tonnes of base oils per year.

The new Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology range is currently being rolled out to markets worldwide.

1 Based on Sequence VG sludge test run on SAE 0W-40

2 Based on Sequence VG sludge test performance on SAE 0W-40

3 Compared with API SN and based on sequence IVA  and sequence VIII engine tests

4 Based on the M111 FE test compared with the industry reference oil. Fuel economy varies from 1,7% up to 3% depending on the different vehicle types and the applied engine oil (e.g. up to 3% fuel economy with Shell Helix Ultra Professional AF 5W-30).

5 New OEM approvals have been secured, from Mercedes, Ford, Honda, GM, Chrysler, and Hyundai

Ends 

Enquiries

For more information please contact Katya Roberts on [email protected] or +44(0)20 3047 2188

Social Media

#ShellPurePlus

High-resolution images are available upon request

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Shell Lubricants

The term “Shell Lubricants” collectively refers to Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. Shell sells a wide variety of lubricants to meet customer needs across a range of applications. These include consumer motoring, heavy-duty transport, mining, power generation and general engineering. Shell’s portfolio of lubricant brands includes Pennzoil, Quaker State, Shell Helix, Shell Rotella, Shell Tellus and Shell Rimula.  We are active across the full lubricant supply chain. We manufacture base oils in eight plants, blend base oils with additives to make lubricants in over 50 plants, distribute, market and sell lubricants in over 100 countries. We also provide technical and business support to customers. We offer lubricant-related services in addition to our product range these include: Shell LubeMatch –the market leading product on-line recommendation tool, Shell LubeAdvisor – helps customers to select the right lubricant through highly trained Shell technical staff as well as online tools and Shell LubeAnalyst – early warning system that enables customers to monitor the condition of their equipment and lubricant, helping to save money on maintenance and avoid potential lost business through equipment failure. Shell’s world-class technology works to deliver value to our customers. Innovation, product application and technical collaboration are at the heart of Shell lubricants. We have leading lubricants research centres in Germany, Japan (in a joint venture with Showa Shell), and the USA. We invest significantly in technology and work closely with our customers to develop innovative lubricants. We have a patent portfolio with 150 + patent series for lubricants, base oils and greases; more than 200 scientists and lubricants engineers dedicated to lubricants research and development. Customer benefits include lower maintenance costs, longer equipment life and reduced energy consumption. One of the ways we push the boundaries of lubricant technology is by working closely with top motor racing teams such as Scuderia Ferrari. These technical partnerships enable us to expand our knowledge of lubrication science and transfer cutting-edge technology from the racetrack to our commercial products.

Shell is recognised as the world’s leading lubricants company by the eleventh annual Kline and Company report on the global lubricants sector (“Global Lubricants Industry 2012: Market Analysis and Assessment”), which confirmed that Shell maintained its volume leadership position during 2012, enjoying a 12% market share.

Cautionary Note

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release “Shell”, “Shell group” and “Royal Dutch Shell” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this press release refer to companies in which Royal Dutch Shell either directly or indirectly has control, by having either a majority of the voting rights or the right to exercise a controlling influence. The companies in which Shell has significant influence but not control are referred to as “associated companies” or “associates” and companies in which Shell has joint control are referred to as “jointly controlled entities”. In this press release, associates and jointly controlled entities are also referred to as “equity-accounted investments”. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect (for example, through our 34% shareholding in Woodside Petroleum Ltd.) ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

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