After creating a lot of initial stir, Shell has launched its next generation of bike engine oil – Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology at the India Bike Week 2015 held in Goa. The Shell Advance Ultra comes at a price tag of Rs 827 for a 1 liter can. Shell Advance Ultra is manufactured through, what Shell calls as, a revolutionary Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) process that converts natural gas into crystal-clear base oil with virtually none of the impurities which are found in traditional crude oils.
The company claims that this is a continuation of their ‘from track to road policy’. They say that they invest more than any other oil companies in research and development and thus were able to leverage their technological innovation in the lab and on the track and transfer them into a product for everyday use on the road.
The management expects that their new product will be well accepted by the ever growing motorcycle market in India and will improve the riding experiences of the bikers, given the varied climatic and geographical conditions in the country.
Manufacturing of the oil begins with the extraction of natural gas from Qatar’s North Field which is the world’s largest natural gas field. In a gasifier, methane reacts with pure oxygen to produce synthesis gas. The synthesis gas then enters one of 24 reactors at the plant, where chains of hydrocarbons are rearranged and transformed into a liquid base oil free of all the impurities found in crude oil.
The launch event saw a high profile figures including Alisha Abdullah, India’s first and only female superbike racer, and Akhil Jha, Vice President,Technical (Lubricants), Shell India Markets Pvt Ltd.
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