Gulf Oil unveils Dhs40 million

Strong demand for industrial and automotive lubricant oils is driving Gulf Oil’s expansion across the Middle East and North Africa. Unveiling its Dhs40 million expansion plan on Monday, the company announced its ambition to expand its regional operations to meet the demand, by quadrupling the production capacities at its lubricant blending plants in the UAE and increasing automation.Fully owned by the reputed Hinduja Group, the 111-year-old Gulf Oil is present in more than 83 countries and has evolved as a formidable entity in the GCC’s lubricants sector.This year, Gulf Oil expanded its blending and filling capacity in the UAE from the present 50,000 tonnes per annum to 200,000 tons per annum to meet its increased market share and sales.“We are continuing our expansion strategy,” said V. Ramesh Rao, General Manager and CEO of Gulf Oil Middle East Limited (Gomel). “The Middle East’s lube oil sector is as robust and dynamic as ever and has continued to support the industrial development in the region. Gulf Oil commands 8 per cent of the region’s lube oil market and we are keen to increase that share by more than 12 per cent in the next two years.”Rao expected the main demand to come from the industrial, energy and marine sectors. He was speaking at a high-profile event marking the company being named as the first lubricants company in the GCC to be given an ISO 17025 certification by the Dubai Accreditation Department (DAC). The certification allows GOMEL to undertake third-party petroleum and petrochemical testing at its state-of-the-art laboratory in Jebel Ali.He added that demand for lubricants in the GCC was expected to grow at 6 per cent a year. “By increasing blending capacities at our Jebel Ali Unit 1 and Unit 2 facilities, we can easily satisfy regional requirements,” Rao said.Gulf Oil Middle East Limited (Gomel) is a part of the Gulf Oil International group, with its main factory in Jebel Ali Free Zone. Gomel handles Gulf Oil operations in the Middle East Region and manufactures and markets lubricating oils, greases, brake fluids, coolants, other automotive specialties.Being a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Gulf Oil International, Gomel manufactures products under license and authority from Gulf Oil International. Gomel’s Jebel Ali Facility has been one of the first lubricant plants in the Middle East to be certified ISO 9002, way back in 1994. The company supplies to automotive retail, marine and industrial markets.The company has its own warehouses in Dubai, Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. In addition, the company has sponsored operations in Oman (Muscat and Salalah), Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait - with own supply infrastructure. From / Gulf today