Striking oil - of the artificial kind

The clever chemists at Shell have brewed up a revolutionary motor oil that ditches raw crude in favour of natural gas. To find out more about new Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology, I went to their top-secret technology laboratory in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

Wait a minute - how on earth can you make motor oil from gas?

I know it sounds like something from the realms of science fiction, but it really is possible.

Basically what happens is that natural gas (methane) is piped from the ground and mixed with pure oxygen to create something called synthesis gas.

After being fed through a reactor packed with a catalyst, this mixture becomes a liquid named syncrude.

Once enough syncrude has been produced it flows into a hydrocracker, a device which breaks down molecules and forms new ones.

The new molecules are then distilled to create the crystal-clear base oil that Shell uses as the foundation for its new motor oil.

In Shell marketing speak this process is referred to as PurePlus Technology.

All this chemical alchemy happens inside the hi-tech Pearl gas-to-liquid plant in Qatar in the Middle East.

The plant - a partnership between Shell and Qatar Petroleum - is made from enough steel to build 10 Eiffel Towers and covers the equivalent of 453 football pitches.

The unique facility can produce up to 30000 litres of synthetic base oil every day.

Sounds like a lot of trouble if you ask me - is it worth it?

It sure seems like it, yes. Thanks to the extensive chemical engineering that goes into the gas-to-liquid process, Shell scientists can tweak or customise the molecules of the base oil to produce more effective products.

The PurePlus oil is cleaner than that produced from raw crude stocks, and virtually free from impurities - so it does seem to offer us everyday motorists some tangible benefits.

Interesting. So why should I change from the motor oil I use at the moment?

Well, for starters, it has a significantly reduced volatility rate, which means you will lose less of your car's oil to evaporation. Meaning that you won't have to top up at the garage forecourt quite as often as you used to.

Another notable feature is that Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology is more resistant to oxidation - in other words, the usual degradation that oil is prey to.

This is good to know if your vehicle has particularly long intervals between services.

Shell's technologists were also pretty proud of the fact that their new oil maintains its specified viscosity for longer than its crude-based competitors.

Normally, motor oils get thicker as they age, but this one is said to retain its grade between service intervals.

So not only do engines have better and more prolonged engine protection, but cars use less fuel because components are able to move more freely.

I do a lot of city driving; will this oil guard my engine against sludge?

Yes. Shell's engineers have spliced this synthetic oil with an advanced formula of active cleansers that protect against the build-up of performance-robbing deposits - like sludge, which is essentially the evil and unseen cholesterol of the engine world.

At the press conference we were told that the cleaning power of this product exceeds industry standards.

The oil helps keep the hard-working innards of the car as factory fresh as possible, which is one of the main reasons why manufacturers such as Ferrari and Maserati recommend using it in all their latest models.

What about diesel engines? Can I use this oil inside my new 4x4?

Absolutely. Shell has always prided itself on constant product innovation and always staying on the cusp of ever-changing market needs.

So the Helix Ultra formulation has been specifically engineered to work inside even the most demanding of modern of engines, be it a tiny petrol or advanced twin-turbo diesel motor.

I'm interested in giving this oil a whirl. Where can I get it?

Helix Ultra with Pure Plus Technology is available at Shell forecourts throughout South Africa.

You can also buy it from most leading motor spares shops.