Shell’s newly improved Gadus grease range used in some of the largest marine applications including dredger vessels and self-unloading ore carriers.

Shell Lubricants has launched a new and improved range of Shell Gadus greases. The range is designed to meet the challenges of the biggest, fastest and largest equipment in operation today, in some of the wettest, coldest, hottest and most extreme conditions.

Shell’s marine customers include Van Oord, the Dutch specialist in dredging and marine contracting, who are behind developments such as Palm Jumeirah and The World in Dubai. The construction of the Palm involved the creation of 700 hectares of new land, moving approximately 110,000,000 m3 of sand, while The World project is creating an archipelago of over 300 artificial islands 4km off the coast of Dubai. Van Oord’s trailing suction hopper dredger used on the project, the HAM 318, is over 227m in length – more than two American football fields - and can dredge at a depth of 110m – the equivalent of a 36-storey building.

The Shell greases used in such projects are developed for and together with these companies in order to lubricate very large slow-moving gears, wire ropes and cables that are in use on these marine vessels. The same products are also used for the large cranes, grabs and self-unloading ore carriers used in some of the biggest ports, such as those in Singapore and Rotterdam.

Shell Gadus S2 V220AC and Shell Gadus S2 A320 [previously Shell Alvania HD and Shell Rhodina EP(LF), respectively] are extreme-pressure, multi-purpose greases used for industrial and marine applications that require lubrication of plain bearings working under arduous conditions in the presence of water. Grease is relied upon to provide good wear protection and bearing life for moderate to high-speed bearings, as well as mechanical stability in the presence of water. As part of the Shell Gadus range they offer the reliability, long lifespan and stringent performance required for the latest generation of marine vessel equipment - a long-lasting grease product maximises the value of re-greasing operations in these large vessels.

Shell’s international research and development team works in close co-operation with customers and equipment makers to create new greases that come with quality assurance. Shell’s expertise also combines the cost savings available from the wide range of Shell products, and offers reliable global supplies.

Gordon Dillaman, General Manager for Greases at Shell Lubricants explains: “Shell Gadus is the new unifying name for Shell greases, creating one of the largest global grease brands. The range of products has been developed to deliver value through enhanced wear protection, long grease life and increased system efficiency.”

The single Shell Gadus brand has also made it simpler for customers to compare product benefits and performance while taking into account other variables such as compatible thickeners, base oil viscosity, NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) grade and any other special performance characteristics that make a grease suited for a specific or unique customer challenge. To aid the selection process, the range is based around key tiers, each offering increasing levels of performance and protection, including: Entry, Mainline, Premium and Advanced, which uses the latest synthetic, high-performance technology.

The re-design of the Shell Gadus range is aligned with a refresh of the entire range of Shell industrial lubricants and Shell Spirax transmission fluids which has involved removing products with overlapping applications – or whose technology had been replaced by more advanced formulas – and improving choice by adding speciality and synthetic products.

For further information on the new Shell Gadus range, customers can visit www.shell.com/lubricants

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Notes to editors:
For further information or interview requests, please contact:

Toby Doman
020 3047 2000
Toby.doman@edelman.com

About Shell Gadus
Shell Gadus is a comprehensive family of greases designed to meet varied and demanding requirements. The range includes multi-purpose greases, as well as speciality greases such as polyurea synthetic products designed for the most severe, extreme-temperature and long-life applications, and a range of open-gear lubricants.

Shell is continually making investments in its grease plants around the world. In the past several years, it has invested in its plants in Asia, Europe and the Americas. In 2010, Shell broke ground on its largest grease manufacturing plant worldwide at Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. The plant is a new addition to Shell’s Lubricants existing manufacturing complex at Zhuhai.

About Shell Lubricants
1.The term “Shell Lubricants” collectively refers to Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. They manufacture and blend products for use in a range of applications, from consumer motoring to mining and power generation to commercial transport. Shell’s portfolio of lubricant brands includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, Shell Rotella T, Shell Helix, Shell Rimula, Shell Tellus, Monarch and Jiffy Lube®. Shell has leading lubricants research centres in Germany, Japan (joint venture with Showa Shell), UK, and the USA. 
2.Our products are manufactured and marketed in more countries than any other lubricants supplier’s, enabling us to supply to our largest customers. We are expanding rapidly into emerging markets while continuing to seek growth in our heartland markets.
3.In 2002, Shell acquired Pennzoil-Quaker State Company to become the No. 1 lubricants marketer in the USA. Pennzoil motor oil has been one of the leading motor oil brands in the USA since 1985.
4.In 2006, Shell acquired a 75% share in Tongyi, China’s leading independent lubricant manufacturer. Today Shell is the leading international lubricants supplier in China and has the third-largest share of China’s rapidly growing market. 
5.In November 2009, we opened our sixth lube oil blending plant in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. With a production capacity of 200 million litres a year, and the potential for a phased development to 400 million litres a year, the complex could become one of Shell’s top three lubricants blending plants worldwide in volume terms.
6.We focus on developing products and services that provide both superior protection and efficiency.