Mobil Ecuador’s largest lube supplier in Jan-Sep

Mobil lubricants accounted for the largest share of Ecuador’s lubricants market in the first nine months of the year as its sales surged.

Texaco Lubricants was the second-largest supplier, after being the top supplier during the same period last year.

Ecuador’s total lube sales of 22.14mn gallons (74,300t) in the first nine months of the year edged down by 1pc from 22.34mn USG during the same period last year, according to Association of Ecuadorian Lubricant Producers (APEL).

Mobil lubricants accounted for almost 10pc of the total volume amid a 25pc surge in sales.  

Texaco Lubricants’ share of the country’s lube sales fell to less than 9pc of the total, from closer to 10pc during the same period last year.

Gulf was the third-largest lube supplier. Its market share rose to more than 7pc of the total as sales surged by more than 30pc.

Ecuador’s lubricating oil demand edged down in the first nine months of the year mostly because of a slump in consumption in June.

Except for that month, monthly lube demand mostly rose from year-earlier levels, including in August and September.

The firm consumption mirrored a similar trend throughout Latin America.

The region’s strong lube demand attracted a swathe of arbitrage base oils shipments from Asia-Pacific especially and contrasted with weak consumption in other regions like Europe.

Base oils exports of more than 22,000t from South Korea to Ecuador in the first eleven months of the year rose from less than 8,000t during the previous two years combined.

The rise in arbitrage supplies cut requirements for base oils imports from the US.

Shipments of 223,240bl (31,440t) from the US to Ecuador in the first ten months of the year were down 23pc from almost 290,000bl during the same period last year.