Shell Marine has unveiled next generation Shell Argina and Shell Gadinia trunk piston oils for the medium-speed engine market.
The Shell Argina range includes four grades: the BN20 Shell Argina S2 for residual, blended and distillate fuels; the ‘mainstream’ Shell Argina S3 (BN30)[ds_preview] and Shell Argina S4 (BN40); and Shell Argina S5 (BN55) – offering extra protection from deposits and extended oil life.
Meanwhile, Shell Gadinia S3 is a new addition to the existing standard and anti-lacquer Gadinia variants, and has been developed to control oil consumption in modern engines burning distillate fuels.
»New and modern engines are designed to achieve higher efficiencies, lower emissions and lower operating costs,« says Marcus Schaerer, Shell Marine Global Marketing Manager.
Shell Gadinia S3 has a comprehensive set of non-engine approvals for a wide range of non-engine shipboard applications, to provide a single long-term lubricant solution for smaller vessels working in the most severe operating conditions.
Exhaustive in-engine trials at Shell’s Marine and Power Innovation Centre in Hamburg confirm Shell Argina and Shell Gadinia as oils that avoid sludge formation, improve piston and crankcase cleanliness, and thus block deposit formation Shell stated.
»Compared with a high-performing industry reference oil, the new Shell Argina S5 shows a 12.6 % improvement in BN retention and a 15 to 20 % improvement in piston undercrown deposit thickness, for example,« says Schaerer. For operators, this could translate into lower operating costs via longer oil life, less sweetening and reduced maintenance he adds.
