10 st / April 2015 www.sea-technology.com
issues before they become critical. SMP's reputation is built
around the supply of reliable lubricants, but ship owners
also rely on the company's delivery of a range of ft-for-pur-
pose technical service solutions.
In demanding commercial conditions for shipping, many
low-speed, two-stroke engine operators would like to re-
duce cylinder lubrication feed rates to minimize lubricant
costs. However, SMP argues there is a fne balance to be
struck between cutting lubricant costs and having a negative
impact on engine reliability.
To ensure that vessel operators achieve the correct bal-
ance, SMP offers Shell Lube Monitor—a cylinder condition
S
hell Marine Products' (SMP) position as one of the lead-
ing suppliers of lubricants to the marine industry is built
around a comprehensive range of products tailored to the
requirements of shipping companies in many different mar-
kets and across various operating conditions. However, in
recent years, its advanced laboratory testing facilities have
increasingly focused on an innovative and complementary
range of monitoring and data analysis services to support
realities in a fast-changing operating environment.
Achieving an optimum balance between lubricant cost
and equipment reliability is an operational must, but run-
ning vessels smoothly also depends on identifying potential
Shell Marine Lubricant Technical
Services Bring Operating Dividends
Monitoring and Analysis Improve Offshore Vessel Performance
By Dr. Sara Lawrence
SMP develops and tests its products at its Marine and Power Innova-
tion Center in Hamburg, Germany.