Shell Maintains its Leadership Position in the Global Finished LubricantsMarket, according to Kline
LITTLE FALLS, NJ, August 4, 2009– Shell has maintained its global leadership position on an overall volume basis supplying 13% of all finished lubricants in 2008, according to the latest study, Competitive Intelligence for the Global Lubricants Industry, 2008-2018, from worldwide consulting and research firm Kline & Company.
ExxonMobil has maintained its number two market share position, accounting for an estimated 11% market share in 2008. BP, Chevron, and PetroChina round out the top five lubricant marketers. Kline’s report assessed the global market for finished lubricants at 38.2 million tonnes in 2008, down 2.6% from 2007.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to continue to show the most robust growth on a volumetric basis. The impact of the global recession has been less severe in China and India. Together, the two account for 18.4% of global lubricant consumption. The markets in the United States, Germany, Russia, and Japan show the largest declines due to the onset of recession albeit due to different drivers.
Of the three market segments, the consumer automotive segment seems to be the least impacted as compared to the commercial automotive and industrial oils and fluids segment. The slump in auto manufacturing, construction, and general industrial machinery industries have led to a slump in the trucking, quarrying, aggregates, mining, chemicals, fabricated metals, and primary metals industries.
“Process oils and metalworking fluids in the industrial segment and ATF in the automotive segment seem to be the most impacted by the recession, as well as by a significant loss in factory-fill volumes,” says Geeta Agashe, Vice President, Energy at Kline. The food processing and power transmission industries seem to be the least impacted. “Also, we believe that the large majors with a balanced portfolio will be the least impacted, and the niche marketers who are specialized and as an example only active in the process oils or metalworking fluids segments, or primarily active in those countries which have felt the brunt of the recession will have to fight hard to survive,” per Agashe. This might indeed be a great time for companies to seek acquisition targets and stay the course, as the markets will re-bound eventually.
Competitive Intelligence for the Global Lubricants Industry, 2008-2018 provides a detailed analysis of the global automotive and industrial lubricant industry segments and the players who participate in them. It combines regional market analyses into a comprehensive program to provide finished lubricant formulators, additive and basestock suppliers, and end users with the latest information on products, services, applications, and trends.
About Kline
About Kline Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for 50 years. For more information, visit www.klinegroup.com.
