Germany’s lubricating oil production fell in January as lower output of gear oils and process oils countered rising supply of motor oils.Lube production of 179,350t in January fell for a third straight month, dipping by 27pc from 245,110t the same month a year earlier, government data showed..The speed of the drop in production outpaced the fall in Germany’s domestic lubricating oil consumption.But the country’s lube exports fell even more steeply. Domestic lube demand accounted for less than 40pc of the country’s total production.Germany’s lubricant output fell as production of process oils and metalworking fluids slid for a fourth straight month.But motor oils production rose in January for a second month, even as domestic demand for the product fell for an eighth month. The trend reflected the larger market for automobile lubricants outside Germany.Europe’s car sales extended their fall in February. But the pace of the contraction has slowed sharply this year compared with second-half 2021. .Germany’s January lube demand falls.Base Oil News stories and analysis also available on ICIS platform
