GTL / TESTING
1. When did Pennzoil begin using GTL base oil in Pennzoil Platinum®?
We began switching production facilities to use PurePlus™ base oil in our Pennzoil Platinum® line of motor oils—bulk, packaged and Eco-box—in 2013. Beginning February 1, 2014, Pennzoil Platinum® packaging indicated the use of this technology was 100%, and all production locations have switched.
2. When did Pennzoil 5W-40 Ultra Euro begin being manufactured with PurePlus™ Technology?
We began switching production facilities to use PurePlus™ Technology in our Pennzoil Platinum® motor oils—bulk, packaged and Eco-box—in 2013. Beginning February 1, 2014, Pennzoil Platinum packaging indicated the use of this technology was 100%, and all production locations have switched.
3. How is PurePlus™ Technology classified? Is PurePlus base oil considered to be Group III+, or Group IV, or some other group altogether?
PurePlus™ base oil is classified as an API Group III product. It is important to note there is no such category as an API Group III+ base oil, interested readers can download and check out a copy of API 1509 for the current official base oil definitions. PurePlus™ base oil is classified as API Group III base oil based on its molecular structure, but it exceeds the minimum requirements for API Group III base oil.
4. What characteristics of motor oils are important when considering them for use in modern direct injection turbocharged gasoline engines, and how do the Pennzoil Platinum® Full Synthetic motor oils made with GTL base oils meet them?
To achieve fuel economy requirements and improve vehicle performance vehicle manufacturers have moved toward smaller turbocharged engines with direct injection. These smaller engines are worked harder to achieve a higher rated output, increasing both the pressure and the temperature in the combustion chambers. These engines provide a demanding environment for the motor oil. Pennzoil Platinum® Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology keep critical engine parts clean and protected, and they have high resistance to oil degradation and low volatility which helps them to maintain the protection over the oil drain interval also resulting in less need for oil top-up.
5. How does the GTL base oil compare with PAO base oil in the various measures of performance?
While PurePlus™ base oil and PAO base oil differ in regard to viscosity, volatility and chemical composition; PurePlus base oil and PAO base oil are similar in their ability to enable top-of-the-line engine oils to perform at a very high level. The key difference between Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology and competitive PAO formulations rests with the additive chemistry that is paired with the PurePlus™ base oil. The synergy of PurePlus™ base oil and our best additive chemistry, in the Pennzoil line up of products, results in a fully synthetic motor.
6. Are there different grades of GTL base stocks?
Yes there are different grades of GTL base stocks. GTL base stocks come in 3 grades, denoted 3, 4 and 8. The 3, 4 and 8 base oil grades are produced at the Pearl plant in Qatar.
7. What type(s) of testing have you done with regard specifically to your products’ interaction with and ability to combat intake valve deposit formations in modern direct injection technology series of engines?
Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology have undergone many stringent lab tests, industry tests, and OEM tests in addition to millions of miles of field trials. The Complete Protection benefits of the line of Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology products make them an excellent choice for advanced engines, especially direct injection engines, because the motor oils help prevent deposits and perform extremely well at high temperatures. No other leading motor oil helps keep engines cleaner than Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology. (Based on pistons from standard V6 engine in ASTM Sequence IIIG piston deposit test using SAE 5W-30. Does not apply to Pennzoil Platinum® Euro and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ 0W-40. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ keeps pistons up to 25% cleaner than Mobil 1; and up to 35% cleaner than Valvoline® SynPower®. Pennzoil Platinum® keeps pistons up to 8% cleaner than Mobil 1; and up to 17% cleaner than Valvoline® SynPower®)
8. It is widely known that the use of GTL base oil can result in lubricant formulations with exceptionally low NOACK volatility. What are the benefits of low NOACK volatility with respect to motor oil??
Lower volatility means less oil consumption inside your engine. Low volatility is also a key factor in enabling an oil to stay fresher for longer throughout the oil drain. Oil loss through volatilization of light ends can cause contaminants, for example from blow-by gases, to concentrate in the oil. These contaminants can accelerate oil ageing and additive depletion. Low volatility helps to maintain viscosity control and is also helpful from protecting the oil from degradation caused by the very high temperatures that can be encountered in turbocharger bearings. Such degradation can cause the build-up of significant deposits in turbochargers.
9. If Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology both use GTL, why does Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ have such lower NOACK values?
Both Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology far exceed the industry requirements for NOACK. In order to address your NOACK values question, we would need more information from your testing. The use of PurePlus™ base oil enables Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus Technology with NOACK volatilties of 10% or lower.
10. Will Pennzoil® conventional motor oils be getting GTL base stocks as well?
At the moment PurePlus™ base oil will primarily be used in our Pennzoil Platinum® line of products. However, in the future other engine oils in our portfolio may contain a percentage of PurePlus™ base oil, if required for a specific formulation. Products in the remainder of the Pennzoil portfolio are continuing to use conventional base oils as their primary base oil.
LOCATION
1. Is Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oil with PurePlus™ Technology available for purchase in Canada?
Yes, Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology are available in Canada.
2. Because not all locations are equal when it comes to Walmart, will you have any way of ensuring that all Walmart locations will stock the Pennzoil Platinum® line of motor oils?
We have made all grades of Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology available to all the retailers including Walmart. Please check with your local stores for availability.
OTHER SHELL PRODUCTS
1. Have GTL basestocks been blended into SOPUS products across the line?
PurePlus™ base oil is primarily used in our Pennzoil Platinum® line of products. However, in the future other engine oils in our portfolio may contain a percentage of PurePlus™ base oil, if required for a specific formulation. Products in the remainder of the Pennzoil portfolio will broadly continue to use conventional base oils as their primary base oil.
2. Is PurePlus™ base oil also used in Pennzoil Gold™ Synthetic Blend motor oil and Pennzoil® Conventional motor oil? If so, at what percentages (regarding ratio of conventional to synthetic)?
Pennzoil Platinum®, Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™, Pennzoil Platinum® Racing and Pennzoil Platinum® Euro Full Synthetic are the only motor oils blended exclusively with PurePlus™ Base Oil at this time. Other products in our PCMO and HDEO portfolios are produced using some PurePlus™ base oil. In the future, we may elect to blend other premium products exclusively with these base oils, and would announce such changes at the appropriate time.
3. Will the PurePlus versions keep my pistons cleaner compared to Pennzoil Yellow Bottle?
Yes. No other leading motor oil keeps pistons cleaner than Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology. (Based on pistons from standard V6 engine in ASTM Sequence IIIG piston deposit test using SAE 5W-30.)
4. Is Pennzoil considering releasing a lineup of fully synthetic high mileage oils?
Pennzoil will continue to expand the Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology line of premium products, and we do believe there are unique benefits that PurePlus™ base oil would provide to high mileage motor oil.
5. Should users with higher mileage (or just older) vehicles have a shorter OCI the first time using Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology, due to its better cleaning capabilities (considering possible release of built up sludge that may not have been cleansed with previous oils)?
Typically, this is not necessary. However, this response is based on how clean the engine is. If the engine is dirty, we do recommend shortening the OCI to drain out the build up that was in the engine.
6. Does Pennzoil have any plans to produce a product for flat tappet high valve spring load application? i.e., Muscle Cars / Hot Rods…
There are not currently any plans to make a Pennzoil product for this application.
7. Have you considered making a high VI oil? If so or not do you think this is an important parameter to design an oil and why?
This is difficult to answer without context. By conventional standards Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus™ Technology have a high VI (viscosity index) already.
8. How will this affect the future of your dino oils?
Pennzoil is only using PurePlus™ base oil in our Pennzoil Platinum® line of premium motor oils. Conventional base oils will remain in other existing formulations that leverage this base.
9. Do Pennzoil products cause engine sludge?
a. No, in fact Pennzoil® motor oils are unsurpassed in their ability to prevent sludge and are even able to help clean up sludge that may have been left behind by lesser oils.
b. Every time your engine is running, by-products from combustion contaminate your engine oil. If the contaminants build up in the oil, they can settle and create sludge and deposits in the engine. Using low quality motor oil, neglecting to change your oil, and other maintenance issues can also lead to sludge forming in your engine.
10. Is there paraffin wax in Pennzoil products?
No, there is not paraffin wax in any Pennzoil products. However, every conventional oil (and most synthetics) on the market today, including Pennzoil, use “paraffinic” base stocks. This is not the same as adding paraffin wax to the oil. Paraffin wax is actually what candles are made of and this is removed in the refining process and sold to the candle makers.
MARKETING / PRICING
1. How will this affect the pricing structure of all of your products?
PurePlus™ Base Oil is a Group III product and our finished lubricant products using PurePlus base oil will be competitively priced.
2. How does the PurePlus Technology impact production costs?
We cannot comment on specifics related to production, but it is comparable to traditional methods.
3. Is it your goal to provide a superior product at a competitive price?
Our goal is to offer a high quality synthetic motor oil at a competitive price. Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology uses high quality PurePlu™s Base Oil and high performance additives, offering complete protection for your engine, without compromise.
4. As a discriminating consumer who wants the ‘best’ for his vehicles, I would like to know; what are you doing to encourage retailers to offer Ultra Platinum?
In regards to your marketing strategy, I respect and appreciate your desire to give your consumers many options – however, I fear that the two-tiered approach with Platinum and Ultra Platinum will force mass-market retailers, due to limited shelf space, to choose only Platinum – making your top-tier Ultra Platinum more difficult and expensive to obtain. As a discriminating consumer who wants the ‘best’ for his vehicles, I would like to know; what are you doing to encourage retailers to offer Ultra Platinum?
Pennzoil Ultra Platinum® Full Synthetic motor oil provides the best cleansing and performance in the Pennzoil family of motor oils and allows us to push the boundaries of our technology. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum is distributed to a variety of retailers and installers across the country and if you are having difficulty finding the motor oil in your area, we encourage you to call us at 1-800-BEST-OIL or search a variety of online retailers.
5. Is Shell marketing the PurePlus™ base oil to independent blenders? (is it possible we will see this base show up in products blended by other manufacturers)
Shell has exclusive marketing rights to GTL base oil produced at the Pearl facility (PurePlus™ base oil), and we are primarily focused on using GTL base oils within our finished lubricants business. There are no plans to offer Shell GTL base oils for spot trading.
6. Why do your products typically cost 30% more at auto parts stores than Walmart?
We do not set the final pricing of our products in the marketplace, that is decided by the retailers and installers.
7. Are the SOPUS Products sold at Walmart exactly the same as the ones sold at AutoZone, O’Reilly, Advance Auto etc..?
Yes, all Pennzoil® products, either packaged or bulk, are formulated exactly the same, and are made in the same plants with the same performance benefits regardless of where they are sold.
8. Is the bulk stuff the same high quality stuff available in retail stores as quick oil change shops?
Yes, all packaged or bulk Pennzoil® products are formulated exactly the same, and are made in the same plants with the same performance benefits regardless of where they are sold. If you are interested in more information, the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have new guidelines that require oil change locations to provide information consumers need to make informed decisions about motor oil. The new guidelines and API’s recently published standard provide consumers with additional information about a bulk motor oil’s brand, viscosity, and performance level.
9. Are there any promotions/specials/coupons offered for the Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology line of motor oils?
Yes, we often provide our customers with an opportunity to save on Pennzoil® motor oil. Check out Pennzoil.Com/Promotions to see the latest list of Pennzoil promotions for the latest motor oil coupons, oil change coupons, plus other great motor oil deals and offers.
10. Are 5W-50, 15W-50 and 20W-50 available in the competitively priced Walmart 5 quart jugs?
At this time, we only offer Pennzoil conventional 20W-50 in 5 quart jugs. If you have additional inquiries, please contact 1-800-BEST-OIL to check on specific package/viscosity grade availability.
11. Is Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oil with PurePlus™ Technology 0W-20 available in 5 qt. jugs?
We are not currently producing this product in this viscosity grade in 5 qt. jugs.
