Our ever-growing presence in 86 counties across the globe, and significant investment in our research infrastructure and talent network, mean that we are ready for the world of tomorrow today and can continue to improve the efficiency and quality of our products.

• PLI establishes business presence in Colombia, Chile and
• Peru in Latin America. PLI establishes business presence in Pakistan.
• PLI establishes new marketing offices in Mexico City and Sao Paulo.
• PLI enters new market in Kosovo.
• PLI begins selling its products in Paraguay, Dominican
• Republic and Ecuador.
• PLI secures First Fill Oil supply with BMW in Austria.

• PLI signs joint venture with the world’s second largest diesel engine manufacturer, YU CHAI Group in China.
• PLI establishes a representative office in Dubai.
• PLI secures First Fill Oil contract with TOYOTA in Thailand.
• PLI partners with India’s megacorporation, Mahindra, to supply automotive lubricants.
• PLI establishes new marketing offices in Beijing, Egypt and Moscow.

• Amir Hamzah Azizan is appointed Chief Executive Officer of PLI.
• PLI secures contract with the second largest automotive OEM in Malaysia, Perodua.
• PLI extends partnership with Mercedes Benz into China through a joint venture partnership with Fujian Benz.
• PLI signs agreement with Tata Motors to supply automotive motor oil and commercial vehicle lubricants in India.
• FIAT India becomes a significant partner to PLI in India.
• PLI enters new market in Angola.
• PLI establishes a new marketing office in Durban.

• PLI secures its first Chinese OEM, Shanghai Volkswagen.
• PLI begins partnering with Doosan in India.
• PLI enters new market in Bosnia.

• PLI makes its first acquisition by acquiring Shandong St.
• Maria Lubricating Oil Company Limited in China.
• PLI begins supplying genuine oil to Mercedes Benz Thailand.
• PLI secures Malaysia’s number one automotive OEM, Proton, through PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB).

• PLI enters new markets in Montenegro and Libya.

• PETRONAS acquires FL Selenia. All PETRONAS’ lubricant businesses are consolidated under a newly established company known as PETRONAS Lubricants International or PLI. Aldino Bellazzini, former CEO of FL Selenia is appointed the first CEO of PLI. At its birth, PLI is already a top 20 lubricant player in the world, with an estimated sales volume of 650 million litres a year.
• PLI registers a new key account, New Holland Industrial for agricultural machinery in India.

• PT PETRONAS Niaga Indonesia is established, allowing entry of PETRONAS’ lubricant products into the country.
• PETRONAS Marketing China Company Limited is set up in Shenzhen to market lubricants to the world’s most populous nation.
• PETRONAS’ Lubricant Unit sets up PETRONAS Marketing India Private Limited in Mumbai.

• FL opens a new commercial branch in Argentina.
• FL leaves Fiat Group and re-introduces itself as FL Selenia. It is acquired by Doughty Hanson & Co., an independent private equity fund management company, in a leveraged buy-out transaction.
• FL Selenia purchases Viscosity oil, an American company that owned a very important transmission oil additive.
• FL Selenia acquires Rondine Azienda Petrolchimica, a lubricants blender and packager. FL Selenia is later acquired by Vestar Capital Partners, an American private equity firm.
• FL acquires Misal Arexons, a leading Company in the production of chemical products for the automotive sector. FL Selenia is then acquired by KKR, an American private equity firm.

• PETRONAS, through PETRONAS Dagangan starts to sell imported lubricant products in Malaysia at its service stations.
• PETRONAS Dagangan starts to blend and fill PETRONAS’ lubricant products locally, utilising third party facilities.

• FL starts its international expansion with Tutela Lubrificantes in Brazil and Olio Fiat Española in Spain. The expansion in Brazil also sees the introduction of its TUTELA range of functional fluids.
• As new models with newer engines that incorporate improved technologies emerge, so do new needs, in particular for lubricants that are less polluting and more ecologically compatible. Cars such as the Fiat Panda, Fiat Uno, Fiat Croma, Fiat Tipo and Alfa Romeo 164 present a growing market and increasing demand for supercharged motor oils and lubricants with more eco-friendly qualities that emit less pollutants.

• The era of lubricant technology. After the Second World War, new car models are launched and lubricant technology continues to evolve. Constant R&D efforts see the production of detergent oils and dispersants with low ash content. This breakthrough paves the way for more efficient engines by reducing debris, therefore resulting in longer-lasting, better performing engines and reduced oil change intervals. Such oils are also seen as more eco-friendly alternatives.1

• Applied research on lubricants contributes to the development of G80 – the first Italian jet aircraft.

• A commitment to research commences. Sezione Lubrificante’s early efforts in research and development (R&D) lead the way for enhanced additive formulations, such as improved antioxidants and anti-wear additives, that benefit military and commercial vehicles as the Second World War begins.

• Sezione Lubrificante develops a new generation of high-performance oils for FIAT’s newer models - the 508 Balilla, the 6-cylinder 1500 and the runabout 500 "Topolino".

• FL enters the Italian market with widespread distribution across the country.
• As FIAT continues to diversify the range of its vehicle offering to meet growing market demand, Sezione Lubrificante begins to develop specific lubricant formulations to cater to each type of engine.

• FL is established as part of FIAT's lubricant division with the aim of manufacturing "first fill" lubricants for all FIAT vehicles.
• The first generation of lubricants for lorries is developed with the launch of FIAT's first lorry, the 18BL.