Bahrain's new base oil plant, a joint venture of Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), Neste Oil and Nogaholding, has started commercial production, Trade Arabia News Service said on Wednesday. The plant produces premium quality VHVI (very high viscosity index) group III base oils for use in blending top-tier lubricants and has a production capacity of 400,000 metric tons per year, the news agency said. Minister of Energy, chairman of National Oil and Gas Authority and chairman of Bapco's Board of Directors, Dr Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza, was proud of the ambitious project, saying that it is line with Bahrain's vision to diversify sources of income. Bapco chief executive Faisal Al-Mahroos said: “We are delighted with the successful start-up of this promising project. The new plant reflects National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) and Bapco's ongoing commitment to diversify income in support of the national economy of Bahrain, and also reflects our continuous commitment for entering into promising partnerships with leading establishments worldwide.” Neste Oil executive vice president Matti Lehmus said the new plant is a great achievement, as it is one of the world's largest units of its type and features the latest technology. “Thanks to close cooperation among the partners, we were able to get the plant up and running within the very challenging three-year schedule originally announced,” he said.
