A base oils shortage threatens luxury auto giants

A global base oils shortage is starting to filter through to drivers of luxury cars, with analysts and industry groups warning that stocks could soon run dry if the Iran war drags on.

Ongoing disruption through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has triggered what the International Energy Agency has described as “the biggest energy security threat in history,” although the supply shock stretches far beyond crude oil, fertilizer and helium.

Base oils are the primary component used to produce high-performance lubricants for engine oils and industrial fluids.

Group III and Group IV base oils, such as polyalphaolefins (PAO), are key feedstocks for synthetic finished lubricants used for automotive purposes, with PAO particularly important for luxury vehicles.

The Gulf region accounts for as much as 20% of global Group III base oils capacity and accounts for 72% and 47% of Group III imports by Europe and the U.S., respectively, last year, according to Argus Media.

Supercars, which are especially prevalent in major cities such as London, Monte Carlo and Los Angeles, rely on these niche products because they can withstand extreme heat, high revolutions per minute (RPMs) and intense pressure.

“The clue is in the name, as in, they are essentially the base for all finished lubricants for automotive, industrial, aviation, marine … you name it, if something moves, it will need a lubricant and that’s made from a base oil,” Gabriella Twining, head of base oils pricing at Argus Media, told CNBC in a phone interview.

In recent weeks, Argus-assessed base oil prices have soared to record highs, with Group III base oil prices in northern Europe climbing nearly 100% since the outset of the Iran war.

It comes amid prolonged disruption to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, damage to Shell’s Pearl Gas-To-Liquid facility in Qatar from Iranian missile strikes and declarations of “force majeure” by producers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

South Korea, a global leader in base oil production and a major exporter of Group III base oils, recently introduced mandatory export caps on refined petroleum products, seeking to shore up domestic base oils supply amid the crisis.

“These historic price rises have to be paid by somebody and that is going to be passed on to the finished lubricant and the buyer of the finished lubricant,” Twining said.

“Stocks are going to run dry in a month if nothing comes in…