Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in this sector specialize in the manufacturing of lubricating oils and greases derived from refined petroleum products. These facilities operate by blending or compounding these refined inputs with various additives to create high-performance fluids designed for specific industrial or consumer applications. The production process often involves complex chemical reactions and rigorous quality control measures to ensure the final products meet strict performance standards required by diverse markets. While some companies focus entirely on blending, others may incorporate re-refining capabilities to recover base oils from used lubricating stocks, thereby extending material utility and reducing environmental impact. Typical operators range from small, specialized contractors supplying niche equipment manufacturers to large-scale industrial giants that produce commodities for the global automotive and machinery sectors. The scope of this industry spans a wide array of product types, from lightweight automotive oils to extreme pressure greases used in heavy machinery and power generation. Economically, these operations represent a significant component of the broader petroleum and coal products manufacturing landscape, acting as a critical link between raw energy resources and essential industrial consumables that facilitate efficient mechanical operation across virtually every modern industry.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 324 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing subsector is based on the transformation of crude petroleum and coal into usable products. The dominant process is petroleum refining that involves the separation of crude petroleum into component products through such techniques as cracking and distillation. In addition, this subsector includes establishments that primarily further process refined petroleum and coal products and produce products, such as asphalt coatings and petroleum lubricating oils. However, establishments that manufacture petrochemicals from refined petroleum are classified in Industry 32511, Petrochemical Manufacturing. |
| 3241 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing subsector is based on the transformation of crude petroleum and coal into usable products. The dominant process is petroleum refining that involves the separation of crude petroleum into component products through such techniques as cracking and distillation. In addition, this subsector includes establishments that primarily further process refined petroleum and coal products and produce products, such as asphalt coatings and petroleum lubricating oils. However, establishments that manufacture petrochemicals from refined petroleum are classified in Industry 32511, Petrochemical Manufacturing. |
| 32419 | Other Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing petroleum products (except asphalt paving, roofing, and saturated materials) from refined petroleum or coal products made in coke ovens not integrated with a steel mill. Illustrative Examples: Biodiesel fuels not made in petroleum refineries and blended with purchased refined petroleum Coke oven products (e.g., coke, gases, tars) made in coke oven establishments Petroleum brake fluids made from refined petroleum Petroleum jelly made from refined petroleum Petroleum briquettes made from refined petroleum Petroleum lubricating oils and greases made from refined petroleum Petroleum waxes made from refined petroleum Re-refining used petroleum lubricating oils |
| 324191 | Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in this sector specialize in the manufacturing of lubricating oils and greases derived from refined petroleum products. These facilities operate by blending or compounding these refined inputs with various additives to create high-performance fluids designed for specific industrial or consumer applications. The production process often involves complex chemical reactions and rigorous quality control measures to ensure the final products meet strict performance standards required by diverse markets. While some companies focus entirely on blending, others may incorporate re-refining capabilities to recover base oils from used lubricating stocks, thereby extending material utility and reducing environmental impact. Typical operators range from small, specialized contractors supplying niche equipment manufacturers to large-scale industrial giants that produce commodities for the global automotive and machinery sectors. The scope of this industry spans a wide array of product types, from lightweight automotive oils to extreme pressure greases used in heavy machinery and power generation. Economically, these operations represent a significant component of the broader petroleum and coal products manufacturing landscape, acting as a critical link between raw energy resources and essential industrial consumables that facilitate efficient mechanical operation across virtually every modern industry. |
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Classification References
- 01Refining crude petroleum and manufacturing lubricating oils and greases--are classified in Industry 324110, Petroleum Refineries; and
- 02Manufacturing synthetic lubricating oils and greases--are classified in U.S. Industry 325998, All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing.
Index Items
Brake fluids, petroleum, made from refined petroleum
Cutting oils made from refined petroleum
Greases, petroleum lubricating, made from refined petroleum
Grinding oils, petroleum, made from refined petroleum
Hydraulic fluids, petroleum, made from refined petroleum
Lubricating oils and greases, petroleum, made from refined petroleum
Motor oils, petroleum, made from refined petroleum
Oils, lubricating petroleum, made from refined petroleum
Oils, petroleum lubricating, re-refining used
Petroleum lubricating oils made from refined petroleum
Re-refining used petroleum lubricating oils
Rust arresting petroleum compounds made from refined petroleum
Transmission fluids, petroleum, made from refined petroleum
How Item Can Help
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Transportation Management Software ensures compliance with hazardous materials regulations while optimizing routing for heavy freight carriers carrying large volumes of grease and oil across regions.
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External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 324191.
National Lubricant Manufacturers Association
The leading trade association for the lubricants industry providing news, resources, and advocacy for petroleum oil and grease manufacturers.
U.S. Energy Information Administration Lubricants Section
A US government page offering detailed statistics, data, and reports on the production and consumption of petroleum lubricants and greases.
Lubricants.com Directory
An industry directory listing major companies and suppliers involved in the manufacture, blending, and marketing of lubricating oils and greases.
