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lube oil, White said the company has found some interesting information re-garding the real-world use of lube oil, findings that could help all shipowners save money. ?What we?ve discovered ? that is kind of a game changer ? is that mostof our customers use too much cylin-der oil,? White said. ?Your typical chief engineer is conservative and wants to en- sure his vessel works effectively and safely. He wants to sleep at night know- ing that everything is going to stay run- ning, and he thinks that a little morecylinder oil is a little extra insurance pol- icy.? We have seen everything from them using the manufacturer?s recommenda- tion up to 100% too much, he said.Chief engineer sleeping habits notwith-standing, the practice is wasting money, and with escalating oil prices and tightermargins it is not a luxury that most can afford. Along with new Mobilgard 560 VS and its range of Mobil-branded ma-rine lubricants, ExxonMobil also offers valuable support services that can help ship engineers optimise feed rates, extend cylinder and ring life, and minimize oil consumption. For example, its MobilGard Cylinder Condition Monitoring Program ? whichat the moment has more than 400 shipsin the program, according to White ? is designed to help ship engineers detectany potential changes in cylinder condi- tion, such as elevated iron levels. In various field trials, the use of Mobil- gard 560 VS, in conjunction with the Mo- bilGard Cylinder Condition MonitoringProgram, enabled several companies to operate with cylinder oil feed rates of nearly 25 percent below original equip- ment manufacturer (OEM) recommended levels, with extremely low wear rates. ?I think with market conditions as they are ? things are really tough out there forshipowners ? I don?t know that we?re at the bottom of the cycle, but we?re cer- tainly low in the cycle, owners have to operate more cost effectively,? White said. ?The typical chief engineer that hashad this mind set for years: is he going tochange? Well, there?s a huge cost driver to change.? www.mobilgard.com November 2012www.marinelink.com 99MR#11 (98-105):MR Template 11/6/2012 10:10 AM Page 99