Lubricant additives: Trading
How oil majors buy certified packages on long contracts
What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.Who buys, and where
- Oil majors and independent blenders buy packages on multi-year contracts
- Indian blenders (IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Castrol India, Gulf Oil Lubricants) buy from big-four affiliates
Who sells, and from where
- Big four from plants in the US, Europe, Singapore, China and India
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| None public | contract prices |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None | not exchange-traded |
Contract types
- Multi-year package supply tied to certified formulations
- Price increase notices passed through with a lag
Traders and distributors
- Not applicable; direct sales
How Indian buyers price it
- Package prices set by global suppliers in dollars, landed with duty and GST; local blending of some packages
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | about $4-4.6/kg average (indicative) | market value over volume | Lubes'n'Greases Factbook; Kline |
Good sources to follow
Lube Reportfree newsletter · Lubes'n'Greasesweekly lubricant and additive industry news
Lubes'n'Greases Factbookfree research site · Lubes'n'Greasesadditive market sizes and players
NewMarket investor newsfree research site · NewMarket CorporationAfton results, shipments and margins