Motiva starts sales of Group III base oils from Port Arthur, Texas refinery

Motiva Enterprises LLC, which is wholly-owned by affiliates of Saudi Aramco, said it has expanded its Motiva STAR base oils portfolio to include Group III premium base oils. Motiva’s Group III base oil products, STAR HVI 4 and STAR HVI 6, are manufactured and shipped from the Port Arthur, Texas refinery, the largest base oil plant in the western hemisphere with a capacity of more than 40,000 barrels of lubricating base oils per day.

“Base oil customers are increasingly looking for a one-stop supplier for all their base oil requirements,” said Bryan Schorzman, general manager of base oils for Motiva.

“Broadening our portfolio to include Group III product offerings has further strengthened our position as the base oil supplier of choice. Our customers, who count on our proven manufacturing reliability, world-class quality and unparalleled technical support, can now blend all their major products using only Motiva base oils,” he said.

With the start-up of Group III commercial sales, Motiva becomes the largest domestic producer of Group III base oils in the United States, enabling customers to benefit from NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement) tax advantages and substantially shorter supply cycle times. Motiva will post its Group III pricing beginning in December.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the United States. Motiva owns and operates North America’s largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas with a crude capacity of more than 600,000 barrels per day.

The company also operates the largest lubricant plant in the western hemisphere for both consumer and commercial use. Under exclusive, long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76 Brand), Motiva’s marketing operations support more than 5,200 retail gasoline stations.