Process and ChemicalBase Oil Production and Lubricant Refining
Base oil quality determines what a finished lubricant can do, and the production route determines the quality. This course covers those routes. Delegates work through vacuum distillation and the feedstock it produces, then solvent processing including deasphalting, extraction and dewaxing, and the hydroprocessing routes that have largely displaced them for higher grades. Base oil groups and their specifications are covered, along with the property tests that define them. Blending and additive interaction receive attention, since a base oil is only half the product. The course closes on the environmental obligations attaching to lubricant production and on used oil handling.
Course objectives
- Describe the base oil production routes and what each yields
- Operate vacuum distillation for lubricant feedstock
- Explain solvent deasphalting, extraction and dewaxing
- Compare hydroprocessing routes and the grades they produce
- Classify base oil groups and their specifications
- Interpret the property tests that define base oil quality
- Address environmental obligations and used oil handling
Who should attend
- Refinery and lubricants process engineers
- Blending plant operators and supervisors
- Laboratory staff testing base oils
- Technical and product development staff
- Environmental officers in lubricant production
Course outline
- 01Base oil quality and what determines it
- 02Vacuum distillation and feedstock
- 03Solvent deasphalting and extraction
- 04Dewaxing routes
- 05Hydroprocessing and higher grades
- 06Base oil groups and specifications
- 07Property testing and interpretation
- 08Blending, additives and environmental obligations
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 September to 2 October 2026 | Mbabane, Eswatini | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 19 to 23 October 2026 | Accra, Ghana | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 21 to 25 December 2026 | Gaborone, Botswana | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 28 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | Maputo, Mozambique | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 8 to 12 March 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | Register Now |