Home » Case Studies » Rig Owner Extends Lube Oil Change Interval From 1000 to 2500 Hours, Saving ~$60K/Rig in 3 Years
Table of Contents
Case Study
Rig Owner Extends Lube Oil Change Interval From 1000 to 2500 Hours, Saving ~$60K/Rig in 3 Years
Table of Contents
Background
Industry
Oil & Gas
Solution
Oil Quality
Management Solution
(OQMS)
Make & Model
Caterpillar
Diesel Engines
Asset
Offshore Rig
Objective
To extend lube oil change intervals with real-time data-backed decisions, reduce oil consumption costs, enhance engine reliability, and minimize downtime.
Challenge / Problem Context
High cost of new lube oil due to frequent oil changes: Each oil change cycle was adding significant expense, with ~USD 80,000 projected to be spent over a 3-year contract period.
Delayed and outdated oil quality data: Lab reports on oil samples took 8–10 weeks, leaving the team with outdated information and forcing them to rely on guesswork.
Manual extension of oil change intervals without data: The rig team extended intervals from 1000 hours (OEM recommended) to 2000 hours based on past experience, but this was not backed by data and lube oil contamination remained frequent.
Lack of real-time visibility on oil condition: Without on-site monitoring, the team was unable to make confident, proactive maintenance decisions.
What Did We Do?
For high oil costs: Deployed Neptunus’ offline filtration system in a kidney-loop configuration with a high Beta Ratio of 929, capable of filtering contaminants down to 3 microns, along with moisture and soot, ensuring prolonged oil life.
For delayed lab reports: Enabled continuous offline filtration, giving the team real-time, reliable data to assess oil health without waiting for weeks-long lab feedback.
For uncontrolled interval extension: Provided data-backed evidence through the filtration system that allowed safe and confident extension of oil change intervals up to 4500 hours—4.5 times the OEM guideline and 2.25 times the rig’s prior practice.
For lack of visibility: Integrated the system into Neptunus’ Asset Reliability Management framework, giving the customer transparency and confidence in oil condition monitoring.
Results That We Achieved
Savings on lube oil consumption: Actual savings of ~$4,000 per engine per year on oil and inline filter changes. Projected savings of ~$60,000 over 3 years for one rig with 5 engines.
Cleaner and more reliable operations: Significant reduction in oil contamination, preventing failures linked to lube oil (which account for 54% of machine failures, as per Noria).
Extended oil change intervals: Confidently increased intervals up to 4500 hours, enhancing reliability while reducing downtime and oil-related logistical challenges.
Environmental responsibility: Reduced disposal of dirty oil, minimizing environmental impact while cutting logistical hassles.
