Chevron’s Caltex has retired all of its CF diesel engine oils in line with the regulatory requirements of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA).
At the same time, the Gulf petroleum product brand unveiled the CH-4 Delo FleetPro SAE 20W-50, a diesel engine oil specifically designed for the region, to replace its discontinued CF products.
The Gulf Standards Organization (GSO) theoretically banned the use of any engine oils below CH-4 in 2013 (GSO 1785: 2013), but in practice it has taken country-level authorities some time to enforce the edict.
CF engine oils have continued to be used by a large volume of medium-duty diesel vehicles and some off-road construction machines in the Gulf, but since August 2016 a step up in ESMA’s enforcement activities has succeeded in achieving a marked decrease in their use in the UAE.
Adriaan de Kok, business manager for the Gulf and Middle East at Chevron Al Khalij, explained: “If you went out into the trade six months ago, you would find that 60% of the engine oil that would be sold in the trade would be CF or below, and those are basically designed for vehicles from the 1980s.”
In line with ESMA actions, Chevron Al Khalij and its partner and distributor EPPCO have immediately discontinued all of its engine oils with CF or below specifications in compliance with UAE regulations.
Caltex’s timely introduction of its CH-4 Delo FleetPro multi-grade diesel engine oil comes with the added advantage of allowing fleet owners that use the product to increase the oil drain intervals of their vehicles from 5,000km to 10,000km – delivering a significant decrease in the oil’s total cost of ownership.
This increase in the service interval associated with the engine oil is a result of major improvements in the overall performance and durability of CH-4 engine oils, such as Delo FleetPro, over CF engine oils.
The technology incorporated into Caltex’s CH-4 product is decades ahead of the technology associated with CF engine oils, and includes the addition of compounds that improve soot and dust dispersancy within the oil, improve pumpability in all conditions and lower the wear and tear on the engine.
Beyond the shift from API CF (1994) to API CH-4 (1998) standards, Caltex’ Delo FleetPro is a multigrade engine oil, rather than a monograde oil, and includes additives that are absent from CF formulas, including antioxidant compounds to prevent the breakdown of the oil – a process that would otherwise impair the performance over time.
SAE 20W-50 meanwhile refers to the custom design of Delo FleetPro to meet the full range of weather conditions and ambient air temperatures associated with the Gulf, and represents a marked improvement on the SAE 50 rating of the Delo Silver product line, which can coagulate at sub-zero tempeatures.
By contrast, the SAE 20W-50 rating indicates that the fluidity and viscosity of Delo FleetPro will not be impaired at temperatures below 0°C and to up to 50°C. And while sub-zero conditions are not common in the region, severe damage can be caused to engines using oils not specified to operate under such conditions when they do occur.
The lengthening of engine oil drainage intervals also holds significant environmental benefits, as in a single step it halves the volume of waste oil produced by the affected vehicles. Incorrect disposal of used oil, in the absence of strict industry controls, can pollute both the soil and groundwater resources.
