Brazilian lube company Vibra completed expansion works of its Lubrax lubricant plant in Duque de Caxias to the tune of R$100 million (U.S.$16.55 million).
Vibra was spun off from Petrobras in 2021. It now has a 17% market share of the country’s lubricant market, behind Iconic and Moove. The company distributes a range of automotive and industrial oils at 1,700 Lubrax+ service centers in its fuel station network in Brazil, as well as in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia and Chile.
The work at the plant modernized the product mixing process and increased production capacity 53% to 460,000 kiloliters from 300,000 kL per year. The facility sources 50% of its base oil from the neighboring Petrobras Duque de Caxias refinery. The remaining raw materials come from United States and Asian sources.
Sales volume grew 7% in the third quarter, reaching 71,000 cubic meters. The modernized facility features digital blending technology, enabling precise production, the company says.
“Previously, producing high-value-added products was challenging due to the complex, almost manual mixing process,” Vice President of Business and Marketing Vanessa Gordilho told local media. “Now, with digital mixing, we achieve better control and precision.”