Universal Lubricants Offers First-of-its-Kind Product Line to Meet the Needs of All Compressed Natural Gas Fleets

WICHITA, Kan., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Advancing its mission to boost engine performance while helping the environment, Universal Lubricants announced today the launch of an engine oil line designed for compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks and vehicles.  Fleet operators from across the country now have the opportunity to choose either Orion -- a traditional lubricant produced from a virgin base oil – or ECO ULTRA® CNG --an alternative consisting of up to 83 percent re-refined material.  The first of its kind on the market, ECO ULTRA® CNG completely eliminates new petroleum products from circulation in CNG fleets while also meeting engine manufacturers' specifications and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) requirements. Both Orion and ECO ULTRA® CNG are low ash, high quality products included in the company's proprietary "closed-loop" system.

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"It's sometimes easy to forget that there's still a petroleum based product in CNG engines, so lubricants often slip from sustainability and budget conversations," said John Wesley, chief executive officer of Universal Lubricants. "But engine oil represents a critical piece of the puzzle for fleet operators. Both Orion and ECO ULTRA® offer notable economic advantages and the security of a reliable vendor that --with our closed loop refining system --  not only supplies the product, but collects it, too. What's more, ECO ULTRA® empowers fleet operators to entirely stamp out the role of foreign oil from their business operations, in an environmentally friendly way."

Each year, the U.S. produces approximately 1.3 billion gallons of used engine oils, only 10 percent of which is re-refined.  The rest is either improperly disposed of (damaging the environment) or burned as an industrial fuel, wasting limited petroleum reserves and perpetuating the need to import foreign oil. Dedicated to reversing this trend, Universal Lubricants has differentiated itself as the only "closed-loop" domestic manufacturer of recycled oil. Universal Lubricants collects, re-refines, blends, packages and redistributes its own oil, the ECO ULTRA® line—without ever losing guardianship within the chain—in an infinitely repeatable cycle.

Universal Lubricants' menu of CNG engine oils fuse – rather than substitute – performance and sustainability. The product line has been formulated to provide exceptional deposit, wear, oil oxidation and oil nitration control in the typically turbocharged engines fueled by natural gas. Low in phosphorous, the ECO ULTRA® line meets catalyst manufacturers' requirements and is available in SAE 30, 40 and 15W40.

"For CNG fleet operators, Universal Lubricants' products and closed loop system represent real opportunity. For individual businesses, our competitive pricing coupled with reduced maintenance costs offers economic advantages. In the aggregate, the more fleets that adopt Orion and ECO ULTRA®, the more petroleum we can turn into a true renewable resource," added Wesley. "We trust that CNG fleet operators will take advantage of Orion and ECO ULTRA® to reap ultimate cost and sustainability benefits, banding together to make a difference for our country's energy security."

For more information about Universal Lubricant's ECO ULTRA® products, visit www.ecoultraoil.com.

About Universal Lubricants
Since its founding in 1929, Universal Lubricants has balanced tradition with innovation to emerge over the past four decades as the American leader in used oil collection, new oil refining and distribution. Unlike other companies that simply bottle re-refined oil, Universal Lubricants collects, refines, blends and re-distributes its own engine oil—never losing guardianship within the chain—to ensure that every quart, every gallon is of the highest quality for optimal performance. The only "closed-loop" provider of recycled engine oil, Universal Lubricants boasts a national presence, supplying ECO ULTRA® throughout the country by operating 28 facilities in 14 states, including one of the world's most technologically advanced re-refineries in Wichita, Kansas. Altogether, the company employs 380 American workers and is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company.

A leader in R&D and in the marketplace, Universal Lubricants will continue to drive progress and drive performance in the engine oil industry. For more information visit www.universallubes.com.

SOURCE Universal Lubricants