Motul has no synthetic base: Research

JAKARTA (JP): Motul lubricants, which are widely sold in Indonesia, have no synthetic base and are purely mineral lubricants, research conducted by a foreign company has found.

"A specific lubricant brand, Motul, sold in Indonesia was marketed under the designation synthetic and sometimes technosynthese lubricants when in reality they are mineral based lubricants," said G. Spontini, who conducted the research in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

Asked to clarify this issue, Pertamina's spokesman Didi Sunarwinadi said "we are waiting for a detailed report on the lubricant issue from the department of production and processing of Pertamina. But I think such a claim is usually made by people involved in business competition," he said.

He promised his company would duly explain the issue.

Spontini, who also works with a foreign lubricant company, said a survey he conducted in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surakarta and Surabaya found that the French oil brand, Motul, including 2100 SAE 15W50, 3100 SAE 15W50, 4100 SAE 15W50, 6100 SAE 15W50, Traffic X SAE 15W40, and Dexron II D or III E were sold through various dealers and distributors. They were branded as synthetic or technosynthese.

"By misinforming about the real quality (mineral instead of synthetic) of its lubricants, the French company Motul is able to offer highly competitive prices to the Indonesian trading house, CV Melati, which imports the lubricants," he said.

Spontini said that as a result the Motul brand had an unfair competitive advantage in the Indonesian market and had enjoyed it since 1989.

"Moreover, the Indonesian consumers are being misled into believing that they are purchasing a high quality oil when in fact they are only buying a mineral lubricant," he said.

According to the regulations of the state-owned oil company Pertamina, mineral lubricants which are 70 percent or more mineral based must be imported solely through Pertamina, while synthetic lubricants which are less than 70 percent hydrocarbon and complying with a harmonized system may be imported directly by an Indonesian company.

Pertamina also stipulates that foreign lubricants imported must first have passed the modified Concawe test carried out by SGS which then informs PT Surveyor Indonesia of the conformity of the synthetic lubricants.

The source said Motul could not have passed the Concawe modified test.

"Due to strict Indonesian import regulations concerning the importation of automotive oil and, in particular synthetic lubricants, it was difficult at first to understand how this brand, Motul, could have penetrated the Indonesian market. However, further research in Europe revealed it was comparatively easy for Motul to deceive customs either in Europe or elsewhere," he said. He did not explain why.

He said research in Germany, Belgium, Spain and France found Motul had already had problems, particularly with Mobil Oil AG in Germany, about its lubricants' quality.

The company also claimed there was no synthetic base in the Motul Lubricants. (bnt)