Energy Prospectus

Natural gas probably isn’t running your car, but it soon may be lubricating your engine. Royal Dutch Shell has produced motor oil from natural gas, a product that is now available in stores, the company will announce Friday. The product was made possible by Shell’s $19 billion Pearl Gas-to-Liquids facility in Qatar, where the company converts natural gas into a variety of fuels and feedstocks. Materials from Pearl are used to make diesel fuel and plastics, for example. Shell began producing base oil at Pearl in 2012. Base oil is typically derived from crude oil and is used to make motor oil. The company has used some natural gas-derived base oil to make its motor oil since 2012, but announced that its premium motor oil brands are now made using only base oil from Pearl.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/03/07/shel ... motor-oil/

Ethane is removed from natural gas, converted to ethylene and then to synthetic lube oil. The basis for Mobil one. Recognized as the best lube oils from light engine oils to heavy gear oils.