Why Availability of Lubricants is limited these days

Limited Availability of Lubricants

Due to the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the availability of lubricants has significantly decreased worldwide. Damage to refineries and disruptions in transportation via the Strait of Hormuz are putting pressure on production and logistics.

This is leading to rising prices and shortages, meaning that demand cannot always be met. Almost all oil brands are currently unable to provide reliable delivery times, and price increases have already been implemented or are expected in the short term.

As delivery information is often only available at the last moment, we are currently unable to communicate exact delivery times in advance.

We are doing our utmost to keep you as well informed as possible and kindly ask for your understanding in this exceptional situation and during this period of extreme demand.

More information can be found below

Lubricant Availability Under Pressure Due to Geopolitical Developments

The availability of lubricants is currently under significant pressure worldwide. This is mainly due to recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East, which have a direct impact on the production and distribution of base oils and lubricants.

Several major refineries in the region have been affected by military escalations, resulting in (temporary) loss of production capacity. At the same time, the transportation of raw materials and finished products has been severely disrupted. In particular, the situation around the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial transit route for oil and petrochemical products – is causing shipments to be delayed or only very limited.

The result is a double pressure on the market: on the one hand rising prices due to scarcity and higher logistics costs, and on the other hand a structural shortage that prevents demand from being fully met. This combination is creating an exceptionally uncertain market situation.

The lubricant market is therefore facing a ‘perfect storm’: scarcity and uncertainty together form a challenging mix in which previous certainties no longer apply. Almost all oil brands are no longer able to provide reliable delivery times. In some cases, the actual delivery date only becomes clear on the day of delivery – or even afterwards. In addition, several producers have already implemented price increases, while further adjustments are expected in the short term.

Due to the lack of concrete delivery times and the late availability of logistical information, it is unfortunately not possible for us to provide accurate delivery indications in advance. Naturally, we are doing everything we can to monitor the situation closely and improve it wherever possible.

We kindly ask for your understanding regarding the current circumstances.

Although we hope that the situation in the Middle East will stabilize in the short term, current outlooks unfortunately do not yet support this expectation.