By Tim Sullivan
ConocoPhillips stated yesterday that it has begun selling Group III base oils at terminals on the West Coast and in the Eastern United States. The company said it will post uniform nationwide prices for the products, which are manufactured and imported by South Korea’s S-Oil.
Since July 2003 ConocoPhillips has been the U.S. marketing agent for S-Oil’s Group III oils, which are sold under the Ultra-S brand name. Until last month, however, they were available at only one location – a Gulf Coast terminal in Braithwaite, La., outside New Orleans. Now it is offering them at terminals in Los Angeles and McKees Rocks, Pa.
U.S. base oil suppliers typically charge premiums on the West and East coasts, but ConocoPhillips posted prices in Los Angeles and McKees Rocks that matched its postings on the Gulf Coast.
Posted prices for paraffinics were unchanged this week. Crude oil prices spiked on news that Russia’s largest oil refiner, Yukos, has halted sales to China and exports through Lithuania. Yukos is in financial straits because of the Russian government’s demand that it pay $7 billion in back taxes. The price of crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed yesterday at $46.86 per barrel according to Bloomberg’s, $2.19 higher than a week ago.
(U.S. $ per gallon/U.S. $ per metric ton)
Group I
| Viscosity |
ExxonMobil* |
Valero |
Citgo |
Sunoco |
Calumet |
|
Gulf Coast |
East Coast |
East Coast |
Gulf Coast |
Midwest |
Gulf Coast |
| 60 |
|
|
|
|
|
1.91/595 |
| 70 |
|
|
|
|
1.78/554 |
|
| 85 |
|
|
|
1.64/508 |
|
|
| 100 |
1.70/523 |
1.78/547 |
1.85/569 |
1.71/525 |
|
|
| 148-165 |
1.67/509 |
1.75/533 |
1.76/533 |
1.76/537 |
1.76/540 |
|
| 200-275 |
1.62/489 |
1.73/522 |
|
|
1.69/514 |
|
| 300-350 |
1.62/489 |
1.73/522 |
|
1.66/500 |
1.73/524 |
|
| 500-525 |
|
|
1.94/580 |
|
1.94/586 |
|
| 600-700 |
1.85/556 |
1.96/589 |
1.96/579 |
1.90/570 |
|
|
| bright stock 150 |
1.96/578 |
|
2.07/606 |
2.01/594 |
2.07/615 |
2.04/603 |
Group II
| Viscosity |
Motiva |
ConocoPhil |
ChevTex* |
Calumet |
Flint Hills |
Valero |
|
Gulf Coast |
Gulf Coast |
West Coast |
Gulf Coast |
Gulf Coast |
East Coast |
| 70 |
1.75/548 |
1.84/568 |
|
|
1.87/579 |
|
| 75-80 |
|
1.80/554 |
|
1.90/588 |
1.84/564 |
|
| 100-110 |
1.65/513 |
1.75/540 |
1.88/583 |
1.82/561 |
1.79/552 |
|
| 145-150 |
1.68/519 |
|
|
1.84/561 |
|
1.84/567 |
| 200-225 |
|
1.79/547 |
1.92/588 |
|
1.81/554 |
|
| 305-325 |
1.66/505 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 600 |
1.85/561 |
1.87/567 |
2.04/620 |
1.96/588 |
1.92/580 |
|
| Viscosity |
ExxonMobil* |
Motiva |
|
Gulf Coast |
East Coast |
Gulf Coast |
| 110-130 |
1.89/590 |
2.00/625 |
1.95/610 |
| 190 |
1.72/533 |
1.83/567 |
|
Group III
| Viscosity |
SK |
ConocoPhillips |
|
Gulf Coast |
West Coast |
Gulf, West and East Coasts |
| 3 cSt |
2.18/695 |
2.28/727 |
1.90/606 |
| 4 cSt |
2.32/738 |
2.42/770 |
2.19/693 |
| 6 cSt |
2.32/728 |
2.42/759 |
|
| 8 cSt |
|
|
2.21/691 |
* ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco prices obtained indirectly.
