China’s Group II base oils output steadied in June after a sustained rebound in production during the previous three months.

Output of just below 300,000t in June edged down from close to 304,000t the previous month, OilChem China data showed.

The volume had risen steadily from less than 210,000t in February, lifting output to 1.57mn t in the first half of the year.

Even with the recovery, base oils output remained down 15pc from 1.85mn t during first-half 2022.

Output held steady in June even as a round of plant maintenance work in the second quarter of the year drew to a close.

China’s economic recovery and lube demand lagged expectations in the first half of the year.