Why speciality marine lubricants matter for drilling and production assets

Lubrication failures are one of the most frequent root causes of equipment damage offshore. For operators, these failures directly impact safety, uptime, and total cost of ownership.

2026年2月24日星期二

Offshore drilling and production assets face demanding operational conditions, including extreme loads, limited maintenance access, and harsh environmental exposure. General-purpose lubricants struggle in these environments, quickly reaching their limits and leading to accelerated wear and reliability issues. Films break down under peak loads, water ingress accelerates corrosion, and high temperatures or boundary conditions drive oxidation, varnish and wear.

The consequences of not using maritime-grade lubricants show up as:

Accelerated wear on gears, bearings and open drives
Increased relubrication frequency and lubricant consumption
More interventions in difficult-to-access areas
Unplanned stoppages and emergency repairs

According to the Swedish Club (2018), the average cost of a single lubrication-related failure is USD 763,320, driven by unplanned downtime, parts replacement, emergency logistics, and lost operational time.

See the table below on the issues and impact

Drilling component	Key issue with inadequate lubrication	Asset impact
Jack-up rack & pinion systems	Limited water resistance Inadequate load-bearing capacity Low corrosion protection	Tooth wear Pitting Increased degradation and rust
Planetary and spur gearboxes	Micropitting & shock-load wear	Gear fatigue and vibration Downtime

Production component	Key issue with inadequate lubrication	Asset impact
Compressors	High oxidation Varnish	Efficiency loss Sticking valves Eventual shut down of compressor
General bearings	Hardening Bleeding	Overheating

Why offshore assets need marine‑grade lubrication

Speciality Marine Lubricants are formulated specifically for maritime and offshore environments, rather than adapted from generic industrial blends. Their role is to keep equipment in a stable operating window when conditions are stacked against it. The shift in mindset that speciality marine lubricants enable is to treat lubrication as a reliability strategy, not a line item. This involves

1) Application‑specific lubricant selection: choosing lubricants based on actual operating conditions (load, speed, temperature, contamination, duty cycle) and OEM guidance, rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. This reduces the likelihood of operating outside the lubricant’s safe window. See table below for our recommendations:

Drilling component	Lubricant requirement	Recommendation
Jack-up rack & pinion systems	Strong, load-bearing lubricant films Excellent adhesion	Klüberbio GE 32-681 /EAL Klüberbio LG 39-701 N/EAL Klüberbio AG 39-602 N/EAL Klüberplex AG 11-462/Mineral
Planetary and spur gearboxes	Synthetic gear oils with strong oil film Greater wear protection FZG scuffing test > 12	Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N Klüberoil GEM 4-320 N

Production component	Lubricant requirement	Recommendation
Compressors	Polyglycol lubricants resistant to dilution and absorption by hydrocarbon gases	Kluber Summit PGI 68/100/150 Klüber Summit DSL / SH
General bearings	Lubricants specifically formulated for centralized lubrication systems sprayable at 0°C Lubricants designed for reliable pumpability at low temperatures down to -30°C	KLÜBERBIO LG 39-700 N 25 KG

2) Condition‑based lubrication where feasible: combining lubricant analysis and inspection with planned interventions, so changes are driven by condition rather than purely calendar time.

Offshore drilling and production assets operate in conditions that push mechanical systems hard and leave little margin for error. Through our exclusive partnership with Klüber Lubrication, we provide Speciality Marine Lubricants designed specifically for offshore boundary lubrication, shock loads, water exposure, and continuous operation. For organisations looking to move beyond treating lubricants as a commodity, this is an opportunity to convert a necessary cost into a deliberate advantage in asset performance.