Japan’s base oils output fell to a six-month low in August even as the country’s total refined-product output rose to a five-month high.Base oils output of 187,270 kilolitres (165,890t) in August fell from 206,160kl the previous month, government data showed.The volume fell by 6pc and for a fifth month from year-earlier levels.The slowdown cut Japan’s total base oils output to 1.60mn kl in the first eight months of the year, down from 1.69mn kl during the same period last year.Base oils output fell this year because of a heavier round of plant maintenance. The closure of a base oils unit in second-half 2022 also cut the country’s production capacity.Base oils output fell in August even before the start of more scheduled plant maintenance work from September.The lower output coincided with increasingly weak Group I base oils values versus diesel and feedstock prices from the start of the third quarter of the year, ICIS data showed..Japan’s July base oils supply falls
