ExxonMobil cylinder oil study boosts Iino’s profits

JAPAN’S Iino Marine Service is saving $23,300 a year on cylinder oil costs for the 107,198 dwt aframax tanker Diamond Champ after adopting an operational programme developed by lube oil supplier ExxonMobil Marine Lubricants. Iino Marine Service is the shipmanagement offshoot of Japanese owner Iino Kaiun, and manages about 60 vessels including liquefied natural gas carriers, product tankers, bulkers and woodchip carriers. ExxonMobil’s feed rate optimisation programme helped identify a balance between cost savings from using less cylinder oil and possible expenses from wear-related maintenance. Iino engineers began to gradually reduce the oil feed rate in April 2008 using an ExxonMobil analyser to monitor wear levels while the engine was in operation. Shipboard staff used an onboard testing kit the check the iron and water content and the viscosity of used oil in samples that were taken once or twice per week that enabled them to monitor cylinder and piston wear. ExxonMobil Marine Lubricants global marketing manager Shaara Blome said: “The Diamond Champ experience shows that a company that understands the condition of its engine cylinders can save money by optimising lubricant feed rates, using less oil while reducing the expense of wear-related cylinder maintenance.” (June 17, 2009)