Europe’s imports of premium-grade base oils from the Mideast Gulf rose to a nine-month high in May, cushioning the impact of plant maintenance work in Spain.Imports of more than 37,000t from the UAE and Bahrain combined rose from little more than 8,000t the previous month, government data showed.Including Qatar, total imports of more than 64,000t in May rose from less than 41,000t in April.The volume was the highest since August 2022 and up from typical levels of around 46,000 t/month over the past year.Several key Group III base oils plants are situated in the UAE and Bahrain. Qatar is home to a gas-to-liquids base oils unit.The arrival of the shipments in Europe coincided with scheduled maintenance work on a Group III base oils plant in Spain. The plant is a key source of Group III base oils for the European market. .Spain’s June Cartagena premium-grade exports fall
