Thai Lube Base has resumed operations at its Group I base oils facility in Sriracha, Thailand, after completing a maintenance turnaround that kept the plant offline for several weeks.
According to a source in Thailand, “The company is reported to have restarted its unit in mid-August 2025, following a maintenance turnaround. The unit had been shut in early July 2025 for maintenance. However, this information could not be independently confirmed with an official source.”
The plant, which has a nameplate production capacity of 267,323 metric tons per year, is one of the region’s important suppliers of Group I base oils, widely used in lubricants for automotive and industrial applications. The restart adds to regional supply at a time when fundamentals remain mixed, with steady demand in Southeast Asia countered by persistent global oversupply in certain viscosity grades.
Market participants noted that the return of the Sriracha unit could increase supply pressure across regional markets, particularly as imports from the Middle East and Northeast Asia continue to compete strongly. However, others argued that the timing of the restart may help stabilize availability, supporting buyers in meeting seasonal demand requirements in Q4.
Traders observed that while Group II and Group III base oils are increasingly capturing market share in higher-performance applications, Group I production continues to play a crucial role in meeting demand in sectors such as marine, industrial lubricants, and specific automotive uses. As a result, Thai Lube Base’s restart is expected to be closely monitored by buyers balancing long-term procurement strategies with short-term inventory management.
With the unit now back online, the key question for the market will be whether the additional output intensifies competition in Southeast Asia’s already well-supplied base oils market or helps maintain stability by ensuring consistent availability amid fluctuating import flows.
