Market research consultants, Kline, has place Shell at the top of the global finished lubes market for the fourth consecutive year according to its latest report.
The research, Global Lubricants 2009: Market Analysis and Assessment, shows Shell as market share leader, taking 13.4% of the world's finished lubricants market in 2008-9 despite a global recessionary slump.
Shell's strength in a buoyant Asian-Pacific region lifted them more than 2% ahead of nearest rivals, ExxonMobil (11%) and BP (7%) in a market which showed annual demand of 35 million tonnes of finished lubricants. Despite overall world volume dropping a further 8.4% year-on-year from 2008-9 from an already depressed market, Shell continued its industry domination.
The rise of the Asian markets was borne out by Petro-China's presence in the top five lubes leaders and, while the US continued to show the largest sales share at 22% although showing a significant decline, China was rapidly closing the gap with 16%, followed by India with a little over 5%.
Kline believes a number of factors beyond recession recovery, such as product adaptability and technical expertise, will have a significant impact on shaping the future market.