In an era of frequent loadshedding and voltage fluctuations, the reliability of compressors is under growing threat and lubricant distributor Atlas Oil & Chemical warns that repeated tripping of compressors leads to exponential rises in oil temperature—cutting oil life in half with every incident. This degradation increases downtime, shortens service intervals, and raises operational costs.

To combat these challenges, Atlas Oil & Chemical, an authorised distributor of multinational oil and gas company Shell Lubricants, brings to market the Shell Corena range of compressor oils – “a cutting-edge” solution that extends equipment life and boosts operational reliability.

“Every part of your compressor has been meticulously engineered,” says Atlas Oil CEO Robert Blignaut. “You want to use a lubricant that’s equally engineered to deliver performance. Shell Corena oils offer wear protection and long oil life, and help maintain system efficiency, ultimately reducing the need for frequent service interventions.”

Shell Corena oils use Shell’s ashless- technology formulations to deliver extended oil life, with some formulations offering service intervals of up to 12 000 hours under controlled temperature conditions. These oils are especially effective in South Africa’s volatile power environment owing to their high flash point (up to 260 ºC) and “exceptional” resistance to oxidative and thermal breakdown.

Atlas Oil cites a range of key environmental and technical challenges threatening compressor performance, including extremely high or low ambient temperatures, poor water separation in the lubricant, slow air release and foaming, moisture- induced corrosion, and a shortened oil life owing to load cycling and thermal stress.

Shell Corena oils meet these challenges through several advanced performance features including extended drain intervals of up to 12 000 hours for rotary systems, and 4 000 hours for reciprocating compressors, fast air release: over five times faster than mineral-based oils, and superior protection, which reduces foaming, wear, corrosion and contamination.

Value-Added Monitoring and Support

The company states that it enhances customer assurance by offering oil condition monitoring services such as Shell Lube Analyst and Wear Check. These programmes involve lab analysis of oil samples taken from the machine, helping detect early signs of degradation or equipment issues.

“This enables proactive maintenance,” Blignaut explains. “We not only supply premium lubricants, but also provide expert recommendations to extend oil and machine life.”

Atlas Oil’s status as an authorised Shell Lubricants distributor is more than a title – it represents a commitment to technical excellence, ethical conduct and “world- class service”. This partnership affords customers access to Shell’s full portfolio of advanced lubricants, priority stock availability, local expertise and delivery and tailored technical support and training.

“For end-users, this means access to Shell’s global innovation– paired with the personal attention and service excellence that defines Atlas Oil,” Blignaut says.

The Shell Corena product lineup available from Atlas Oil includes Corena S3 R: a high-performance mineral-based rotary compressor oil (up to 6 000 hours), Corena S4 R: a fully synthetic rotary and vane compressor oil (up to 12 000 hours), and Corena S4 P: a premium reciprocating compressor oil for temperatures up to 220 ºC.

All products are available from Atlas Oil’s Boksburg and Delmas branches in Gauteng, with full technical support.