Those numbers are the same, and wouldn't really tell you anything even if they weren't the same.
UOAs measure wear metals in specific ways. So let's take Iron for exaple, UOAs are testing the particles of oil within a certain size range. Particles of iron larger than that don't get counted. So you could test two different oils, Oil-A could have higher iron count than Oil-B. Someone could look at that and say that Oil-A didn't do as good of a job protecting the engine. However, when looking at the total system, it might be because Oil-A prevented less iron wear, but the iron wear that did occur was of a smaller particle size that fell within the range of sizes tested by a UOA. So although Oil-A has a higher iron count in a UOA, it might actually be protecting the engine better than Oil-B.
That's also why they have things like PQI Tests available on used oil.
Also, using different sampling companies could affect the numbers, as there are different ways to measure the same thing. So depending on which method was used, when their machines were calibrated, if the facility is certified, etc. could all have an affect on the numbers given. There have been UOAs done here on the same sample of oil, but sent to different labs, that have come back with different numbers even though the sample was well mixed between the two sampling bottles to help ensure uniformity.
Lastly, using different filters could potentially have a great affect on the UOA, as different filtering processes might allow more particles of certain sizes to circulate the oil and not be trapped in the filter. Thus allowing that element to be picked up as higher numbers in the UOA. This, in part, is why they offer things like used filter analysis.
I just did a quick google search, and I found this article, if you read the first two parts it'll explain better than me the difference between a UOA and a PQI Test.
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/854/oil-analysis-tests
I'm sure there are even better explanations available online, but that's the first one I found.
Don't get me wrong. It's a good effort to try and compare two different oils. However, the controls put in place, and the undertaking that needs to be done to ensure everything is the same is surprisingly large. Very good try though.
If you have that much interest in oil, you should post on here more often. The site can always use more smart forum members.
