ALTUM: Turning a vision into a reality

The lubricant base stock industry continues to evolve as a result of changing regulatory requirements, advancing engine technologies, OEM performance specifications and shifting market demands. Many of the most significant changes over the past two decades have been driven by automotive OEMs developing increasingly sophisticated engines that require more from the lubricant and, ultimately, the base stock itself.

The continued migration toward lower-viscosity engine oils, stricter fuel economy targets, enhanced oxidation performance requirements and demanding OEM specifications such as dexos1™ Gen 3 and ILSAC GF-6B/GF-7B have elevated the importance of Group III base stocks. What was once considered a premium blending component has become a critical formulation tool for meeting the needs of the North American lubricant market.

At ExxonMobil, we are responding to these industry trends with ALTUM™, our new Group III base stock slate, which will be available beginning in 2028 as part of the Baytown Reconfiguration Project.

ALTUM™ was developed with consideration of participants across the lubricant value chain, including blenders, formulators, additive companies and OEMs. From the outset, our objective was clear: design a Group III product slate that enables customers to formulate finished lubricants capable of meeting current and emerging industry and OEM performance requirements across a variety of additive technologies.

Over the past two decades at ExxonMobil, I have worked in product development, manufacturing and process engineering. I've had the opportunity to contribute to milestone projects including the Baytown Lubes Expansion Project in 2014, which delivered upgraded EHC™ 45 and EHC™ 65 products, and the Singapore Resid Upgrade Project, which launched our new Group II EHC™ 340 MAX in 2025.

I began working on the development and commercialization of ALTUM™ in 2019. It has been one of the most exciting opportunities of my career because it lies at the intersection of customer needs, technical innovation and world-class manufacturing.

The growing demand for lower-viscosity engine oils is fundamentally tied to improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. However, as lubricant viscosity decreases, maintaining acceptable volatility becomes increasingly difficult, which Group II/II+ alone cannot deliver, especially for the lowest viscosity engine oils.

At the same time, modern engine oil specifications continue to become more demanding. Engine advancements place greater stress on lubricants than ever before, and formulators must now balance requirements for fuel economy, low Noack volatility, excellent low-temperature performance, deposit control, oxidation resistance and wear protection. Our customers increasingly need access to high-quality Group III base stock that enables them to meet today’s formulation demands.

This is where ALTUM™ comes in.

Compared to Group II/II+ base stocks, ALTUM™ offers an advantaged viscosity-volatility relationship, helping our customers to meet the simultaneous low temperature and volatility requirements of today’s most demanding lubricant specifications.

As a high-quality Group III base stock, ALTUM™ was developed with our customers’ formulation needs in mind. Its development was made possible through close collaboration of experts across product development, manufacturing, engineering, technology and commercial organizations, all working toward a single goal: turning the vision of ALTUM™ into a reality.

Commercializing ALTUM™ for the North American market requires integration of formulation science, process engineering, manufacturing capability, logistics planning and commercial strategy. We had to reconcile the multiple challenges of “how do you deliver the product that industry needs” with “what can our Baytown Refinery produce” and with “how do we maintain our commitments to our current Group II+ customers”.

Our skilled teams across Baytown Refinery, Marketing, Supply and Technology will be key to turning this vision into reality.

The 2028 Baytown Reconfiguration Project represents the unique opportunity to bring ALTUM™ to market at scale. Over the 15 years I’ve worked with Baytown, I have observed our technical and operations teams consistently push the boundaries of what is possible, from significant production increases to the successful introduction of new products using existing assets. This latest investment builds upon that history of innovation while leveraging the scale, technical expertise, and operational capabilities of ExxonMobil.

When the project comes online in 2028, ALTUM™ will be the largest source of domestically produced Group III in North America. Additionally, our Baytown Refinery is strategically situated to take advantage of both domestic and international crude supplies to help minimize impacts of feedstock disruptions.

ALTUM™ represents the realization of a plan to provide our customers with a reliable, North American source of high-quality Group III designed to meet today’s demanding lubricant performance requirements.

ALTUM™ Group III will expand formulation possibilities for next-generation lubricants, particularly passenger vehicle engine oils that must meet increasingly demanding performance requirements. And since it will be North America’s largest source of Group III base stocks, it represents a supply outside of the Middle East and Asia.

On a broader scale, the introduction of ALTUM™ will mark ExxonMobil’s position as the industry’s only supplier of a complete portfolio of base stock offerings, Groups I through V. ALTUM™ provides an unparalleled ability to tailor solutions directly to our customers’ needs.

That is the meaning of this moment: the realization of a vision to offer a new domestic source of high-quality Group III base stocks that expands formulation possibilities, strengthens supply reliability and helps customers meet evolving lubricant demands. Baytown Refinery and ALTUM™ represent ExxonMobil’s century-long commitment to supporting the lubricant industry.

For me personally, ALTUM™ represents the culmination of years of collaboration across Baytown, marketing, engineering, manufacturing and technology. The meaning of this moment is also personal. It reflects the dedication of countless people who transformed an idea into reality. I am proud of what our teams have accomplished and excited about the opportunities ALTUM™ will create for our customers and for the future of the North American lubricant industry.