Gulf Oil receives “No Objection Letter” for 40 BN cylinder oil
Gulf Oil Marine announced that it has received a “No Objection Letter” (NOL) from MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) for its CAT II 40 BN cylinder oil GulfSea Cylcare XP 5040X.
In May 2020, MAN Energy Solutions introduced a new cylinder oil strategy to raise the performance level of cylinder oils by dividing them into two performance categories – Category I and Category II. Category II is the higher performing category.
Cylinders oils with a current No Objection Letter are considered to be in Category I. These are applicable for MAN B&W two-stroke engine Mark 8 and lower.
Category II cylinder oils have excellent overall performance, with a special focus on cleaning ability. In order to receive this status, the cylinder oil is tested thoroughly. The first cylinder oils to go through the Category II process have been the 100 and 140 BN oils, and the aim was that other lubricant grades will follow, such as the 40 BN cylinder oil. A Category II status automatically gets a Category I status.
Category II cylinder oils apply for all engines (e.g. Mark 8 and lower) and are recommended for MAN B&W two-stroke engines Mark 9 and higher.
The main property requirements for Category I and Category II cylinder oils are:
- kinematic viscosity – minimum 18.5 cSt at 100°C, maximum 21.9 cSt at 100°C
- viscosity index (VI) – minimum 95
- high detergency
- alkalinity or base number (BN)
GulfSea Cylcare XP 5040X was designed to operate effectively through the challenges of low-sulphur fuel operations in marine two-stroke engines. The innovative dispersant technology that is used in the lubricant formulation, combined with non-alkaline detergents, antioxidant and wear protection additive chemistries, sets new standards in lubricant development, the company claims.
The product has undergone extensive testing in laboratories and in a test engine where it subjected to real world operating conditions.