Live zone
LubIQ Intelligence
Six offices reporting across thirteen markets. Volume, margin and contract risk, refreshed every morning.
Sales Dashboard
The main overview of how the entire commercial zone is performing this month. All numbers update automatically from live data — no manual entry required. Think of this as the morning briefing a Director opens to understand the state of the business in 60 seconds.
Month to date · All offices · Live data
Volume this month
MT = Metric Tonnes. This is the total weight of lubricant oil sold across all 11 offices so far this month. 1 MT = 1,000 kg. A large container ship might need 100–200 MT of oil per year. "This month" means from the 1st until today — not the full month.
13,240 MT
+4.2% vs last month
Revenue this month
Total dollar value of all lubricant sales invoiced this month across the zone. This is gross revenue — before deducting costs or rebates. The full year target for this zone is $350M, so each month should average around $29M.
$28.4M
−1.1% below target
Active contracts
The number of "continuity supply" contracts currently in force. A continuity supply contract means a shipowner has agreed to buy all their lubricants from Lubmarine for a set period (usually 1–3 years), at agreed prices, for a set number of ships. Each contract is worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
107
3 renewal windows open
Revenue at risk
The total annual revenue from customers who are currently flagged as at-risk — meaning their contract is expiring soon, their volume is declining, or they are showing signs of switching to a competitor. This is not money already lost, it is money that could be lost if no action is taken.
$4.2M
8 customers flagged
Volume sold — by office this month
Each bar shows one office's sales volume this month as a percentage of their monthly target. Blue = on track or above target. Orange = slightly below. Red = significantly below target and flagged for Director review. The tool automatically identifies which offices need attention.
See all
HAM = Hamburg · ATH = Athens · DXB = Dubai · IST = Istanbul · CPH = Copenhagen · MIL = Milan · LIN = Linden · PAR = Paris
Progress toward target
Each product line has a separate annual sales target. This bar shows how far through that target we are, given how many months of the year have passed. Green = on track or ahead. Orange = slightly behind. Red = significantly behind and needs management attention. Talusia, Aurelia, and Disola are Lubmarine's main lubricant product families.
Talusia
94%
Lubmarine's flagship product for slow-speed 2-stroke engines — the giant engines that power large container ships and bulk carriers. The most important product line by volume.
Aurelia
79%
Lubricant oil for 4-stroke medium-speed engines, used on ferries, cruise ships, and offshore vessels. The Aurelia NGX 40 is Lubmarine's newest formula designed for ships transitioning to LNG fuel.
Disola
62%
Also for 4-stroke engines, known for keeping engines clean over long service periods. The Disola Long Life range is designed to reduce how often ships need to change their oil, lowering costs for the shipowner.
EAL Bio
103%
EAL = Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant. These are biodegradable oil products required in ecologically sensitive areas — the Arctic, the Great Lakes, near coastlines. Demand is growing as environmental regulations tighten globally.
KAM performance — this month
KAM = Key Account Manager. These are the 15 salespeople who each manage a portfolio of shipowner customers across the 11 offices. This table shows how each KAM is performing against their monthly volume and margin targets. "Last contact" shows when they last logged a customer interaction — important because inactive KAMs often lose accounts.
Full view
| Name | Office The physical office this KAM is based in. Each office covers a geographic region — Dubai covers the Middle East and India, Athens covers Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, Hamburg covers Northern Europe. |
Volume (MT) Total metric tonnes of lubricant sold by this KAM to their customers this month. MT = metric tonne = 1,000 kg. A KAM in Dubai managing large tanker fleets will naturally have higher volumes than one covering smaller vessels. |
vs Target How this KAM's volume compares to their personal monthly target. Green = above target. Red = below target. A KAM who is consistently below target may have customers at risk, or may need support from the Director. |
Margin Net margin = (price charged − cost − transport) ÷ price charged. This shows the profit percentage on this KAM's sales. A margin below 14% is below the zone's minimum threshold and triggers a review. High margins come from selling premium products at full price without excessive discounting. |
Contracts Number of active continuity supply contracts this KAM is currently managing. Each contract represents a shipowner who has committed to buying from Lubmarine. More contracts = larger, more stable portfolio. |
Last contact When this KAM last logged a customer interaction (call, visit, or email). KAMs who go several days without customer contact are at higher risk of losing accounts — the tool flags this automatically. |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karim A. | Dubai | 2,450 | +11% | 19.4% | 15 | Today | Leading |
| Sophie M. | Hamburg | 2,140 | +6% | 18.2% | 12 | Today | On track |
| Nikos P. | Athens | 1,890 | +2% | 16.8% | 9 | Yesterday | On track |
| Luca R. | Milan | 1,340 | −5% | 15.9% | 11 | Today | Monitor |
| Mehmet Y. | Istanbul | 980 | −18% | 14.1% | 8 | 3 days ago | At risk |
| Emma W. | Linden | 760 | −22% | 13.2% | 7 | 5 days ago | At risk |
Alerts
All alerts are generated automatically by rules running on the live data every day. No one has to check manually — the system does it. There are three types: contract alerts (expiry and compliance), financial alerts (indexation, margin, rebates), and customer alerts (volume drops, churn signals). Alerts are sorted by urgency so the most important action is always at the top.
Auto-generated from live data — no manual checking needed
Urgent — act today
These are alerts where delay costs money directly. A contract expiring in 8 days with no renewal started, an indexation that is 47 days overdue losing €18,000 every month it is not corrected, a customer whose volume has been declining for 3 straight months. Each of these needs a phone call or action today.
Contract expires in 8 days — Maersk Tankers
When a contract expires without renewal, the customer is no longer committed to buying from Lubmarine. They can immediately switch to Shell, Castrol, or ExxonMobil. Maersk Tankers covers 14 ships worth $2.1M/year — losing this account would take months to replace. The KAM needs to call them today to start renewal negotiations.
14 ships, $2.1M/year. No renewal discussion started. KAM: Nikos P. (Athens)
Price indexation overdue — Nordic Bulk AS
Indexation means the price in the contract is linked to the price of base oil (the raw material in lubricants). When base oil prices went up 4.1% last quarter, the price charged to Nordic Bulk AS should have automatically increased. But the adjustment was never triggered — so Lubmarine has been selling below cost for 47 days, losing approximately €18,000 every month this is not fixed.
Base oil price rose +4.1% last quarter. Adjustment due March 1st. Selling at a loss of ~€18,000/month.
Volume dropped 34% — Istanbul Steel Shipping
This customer agreed to buy a minimum of 270 MT per month. They are only buying 180 MT — and this is the third month in a row the volume has been declining. This pattern matches what Lubmarine has historically seen just before a customer switches to a competitor. The Director should be informed and a call with the customer escalated immediately.
Ordered 180 MT vs their usual 270 MT. Third consecutive month declining. High competitor switch risk.
Important — this week
These alerts do not need action today but should not wait past the end of the week. Contracts in their renewal window, rebate thresholds approaching, and new customer documentation gaps that are blocking contract signatures.
Renewal window open — Pacific Carriers
The renewal window is the period when the KAM should start re-negotiating the contract before it expires. Starting too late (less than 2 weeks before expiry) puts Lubmarine in a weak negotiating position — the customer knows you are under pressure. Starting 6–8 weeks before is ideal. This contract expires in 41 days — the window is open now.
Contract expires in 41 days. 8 ships, $890K/year. Start renewal conversation now.
Rebate threshold approaching — Hellenic Ferries
A rebate is a discount paid back to the customer at the end of the year if they bought enough volume. The deal with Hellenic Ferries is: buy more than X tonnes this year and we give you 2% back. They are currently at 87% of that threshold. The KAM can call them now to encourage the final orders needed to hit the threshold — this is a commercial incentive conversation, not a chase call.
At 87% of the annual volume threshold for their 2% year-end rebate. KAM opportunity to encourage final orders.
Due diligence incomplete — Gulf Marine Corp
Due diligence is a set of checks Lubmarine does before signing a contract with a new customer — verifying they are financially stable, legally compliant, and not on any sanctions lists. Gulf Marine Corp is a new customer. 2 of the 5 required documents are still missing. The contract cannot be signed until these are received, which means no revenue from this customer until it is resolved.
New customer: 2 of 5 required documents missing. Contract on hold until resolved.
Indexation schedule — all active contracts
This table tracks every contract that has an indexation clause — meaning the price adjusts periodically based on the base oil price index. "Platts" and "ICIS" are the two main market data providers whose base oil price indexes Lubmarine uses as the reference. This table is generated automatically — without this tool, someone would need to check each of the 107 contracts manually to find which ones are due.
Download
| Customer | Index used Platts and ICIS are global commodity data providers. They publish daily and monthly prices for base oil (the main raw material in lubricants). When a contract says "indexed to Platts Base Oil", it means the selling price adjusts based on Platts' published price for that quarter. |
Frequency How often the price adjustment is calculated and applied. "Every 3 months" means four times a year. "Every 6 months" means twice a year. The more frequently it adjusts, the more quickly Lubmarine can recover from raw material cost increases — but it also means more administrative work to track and apply each adjustment. |
Price change The percentage change in the base oil index since the last adjustment. A positive number means base oil got more expensive, so the price Lubmarine charges the customer should go up by this percentage. This is calculated automatically from the market data feed. |
Impact per tonne | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nordic Bulk AS | Platts Base Oil | Every 3 months | +4.1% | +$34/tonne | Mar 1 | 47 days overdue |
| Stolt Tankers BV | ICIS Base Oil | Every 3 months | +2.3% | +$20/tonne | May 2 | Due in 11 days |
| MSC Mediterranean | Platts Base Oil | Every 6 months | +1.8% | +$16/tonne | Jun 15 | Upcoming |
| CMA CGM Group | ICIS Base Oil | Every 3 months | +0.9% | +$8/tonne | Jul 1 | Upcoming |
Customer Health
Each of the 107 active customers gets a health score from 1 to 10, recalculated every day. The score is based on five signals: (1) volume trend — is the customer buying more or less than usual, (2) margin — is their account profitable, (3) contract status — is their contract healthy or expiring, (4) payment history — do they pay on time, (5) KAM activity — how recently did the salesperson contact them. A low score does not mean the customer is definitely leaving — it means they need attention now before it becomes a problem.
107 active customers · Scored daily on 5 signals · Alerts generated automatically
Healthy (score 8–10)
These customers have strong, stable relationships with Lubmarine. Volume is stable or growing, contracts are current, margins are healthy, and KAMs are in regular contact. No immediate action required — maintain the relationship.
71
66% of customers
Watch closely (5–7)
These customers have one or two warning signals — perhaps a slight volume decline, or a contract renewal coming up in a few months. They are not in immediate danger but deserve a proactive call from the KAM in the next week or two to strengthen the relationship before any issue develops.
28
26% of customers
At risk (1–4)
These 8 customers have multiple warning signals and are at genuine risk of switching to a competitor. The combined annual revenue from these 8 accounts is $4.2M. Without intervention, some of this revenue will likely be lost. These accounts should be escalated to the Director for priority action.
8
$4.2M exposed
Average score
The average health score across all 107 customers. A rising average means the portfolio is getting healthier overall. A falling average is an early warning that the zone is losing commercial momentum and the Director should investigate which offices or segments are driving the decline.
7.2
+0.3 vs last month
Health scores
Each bar represents one customer's health score out of 10. Green = healthy (8–10). Orange = watch (5–7). Red = at risk (1–4). The bar length shows the score visually so you can immediately see which customers need attention without reading the numbers. Scores update every morning when the data refresh runs.
Stolt Tankers BV
9.1
CMA CGM Group
8.8
Hellenic Ferries
8.2
Pacific Carriers Ltd
7.5
Maersk Tankers
6.0
Nordic Bulk AS
5.5
Gulf Marine Corp
3.5
Istanbul Steel Ship.
2.8
Churn risk signals
Churn means a customer leaving and buying from a competitor instead. The tool tracks 5 early warning signals: (1) volume declining for 2+ consecutive months, (2) ordering less frequently than usual, (3) KAM not contacted in more than 14 days, (4) contract expiry approaching without renewal talks started, (5) overdue indexation creating pricing tension. The more signals, the higher the churn probability. A customer can be saved if action is taken early enough.
Istanbul Steel Shipping
3 of 5 signals: volume declining 3 months in a row, ordering less often, no KAM contact in 18 days.
Nordic Bulk AS
2 of 5 signals: overdue indexation creating pricing friction, contract approaching expiry.
Maersk Tankers
1 signal: contract expires in 8 days. Strong relationship otherwise — low risk if renewal is started now.
Fleet wallet share — how many of each customer's ships are with us
Wallet share = the percentage of a customer's total fleet that is currently buying from Lubmarine. A customer with 22 ships where only 14 are under contract represents 8 ships buying from competitors — that is a direct commercial development opportunity. KAMs should know the wallet share for each customer in their portfolio and have a plan to grow it.
| Customer | Total ships | With Lubmarine | Wallet share | Ships we could win | Est. opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMA CGM Group | 24 | 24 | 100% | — | — |
| Maersk Tankers | 22 | 14 | 64% | 8 ships | ~$480K/yr |
| Stolt Tankers BV | 18 | 18 | 100% | — | — |
| Hellenic Ferries | 12 | 9 | 75% | 3 ships | ~$180K/yr |
| Istanbul Steel Ship. | 8 | 5 | 63% | 3 ships | ~$210K/yr |
Pricing & Margins
This section has two tools. The Margin Checker lets a KAM test whether a price offer is profitable before sending it to a customer — preventing accidental loss-making deals. The Indexation Calculator automatically computes the new price that should be charged when base oil costs change, and shows the annual revenue impact of applying the adjustment.
Validate offers before sending · Auto-calculate price adjustments · Spot margin gaps
Margin checker — validate before sending
Before a KAM emails a price offer to a customer, they enter it here. The tool calculates: (offer price) minus (product cost) minus (delivery cost) divided by (offer price) = net margin percentage. If the margin is above 14%, it is fine to send. Below 14% requires Director approval. Below 8% means the offer loses money and should not be sent. This prevents the accidental pricing errors that currently cost the team money every year.
Talusia = oils for large slow-speed 2-stroke engines (container ships, bulk carriers). Aurelia = oils for medium-speed 4-stroke engines (ferries, cruise ships). Disola = oils for high-speed 4-stroke engines. Each product has a different base cost, which affects the margin calculation.
The price the KAM wants to offer this customer, in US dollars per metric tonne. Try changing this number — below $860 the result turns orange (Director approval needed), below $810 it turns red (loss-making, do not send).
Delivery port affects the transport cost component of the margin. Delivering to a Premium port (like Dubai or Hamburg) with direct stock is cheaper than a Limited port which requires special logistics. The tool automatically adjusts the cost calculation based on port tier.
Margin is within threshold
Net margin: 16.8% · Cost $740 + delivery $12 = $752/tonne · Net: $138/tonne. Above the 14% minimum. Consistent with comparable customers.
Indexation calculator
When the base oil price index changes, contracts with indexation clauses need to be updated. This calculator does the maths automatically: enter the current contract price and the index change percentage, and it tells you the new price to charge. It also calculates how much extra revenue this generates per year across all ships on this contract. This replaces a manual calculation that currently takes 10–15 minutes per contract.
The price currently written in the contract — what Lubmarine is charging this customer right now per metric tonne of lubricant. This is the starting point for the indexation adjustment calculation.
The percentage change in the base oil price index since the last contract adjustment. This number comes from the Platts or ICIS market data feed. A positive number means base oil got more expensive — so the customer's price should go up. Try changing this to see how the new price and annual revenue impact change in real time.
New price to charge
$879.78 / tonne
+$19.78/tonne · 18 ships · Extra revenue: +$71,208/yr
Best and worst margin combinations — product by port
This table shows which combinations of product and delivery port generate the highest and lowest margins. It helps Directors and KAMs understand where to focus commercial effort — Dubai and Hamburg are the most profitable markets, while Istanbul and Rotterdam have margin pressure that needs investigation. The tool generates this ranking automatically from the live pricing and cost data.
| Product | Port | Avg price charged | Avg cost | Net margin Net margin = (price − cost) ÷ price. The zone's minimum acceptable margin is 14%. Anything below this needs a review to understand whether the pricing is wrong, the costs are too high, or the contract needs renegotiating. | Volume (MT/mo) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talusia Universal 70 | Dubai | $940 | $755 | 19.7% | 3,240 | Top tier |
| Aurelia XL 40 | Hamburg | $910 | $748 | 17.8% | 2,180 | Top tier |
| Talusia Universal 40 | Athens | $870 | $730 | 16.1% | 1,890 | Good |
| Disola M 4015 | Istanbul | $820 | $715 | 12.8% | 980 | Review |
| EAL Bio 46 | Rotterdam | $980 | $870 | 11.2% | 420 | Review |
Contract Tracker
This section tracks all 107 active supply contracts. The progress bar next to each contract shows how close it is to expiry — a nearly full bar in red means the contract is about to expire. The volume compliance table shows which customers are buying less than the minimum they agreed to in their contract — which is a potential breach that needs addressing.
107 active contracts · Expiry monitoring · Volume compliance · Due diligence
Expiring within 30 days
Contracts expiring in less than 30 days are in a critical window. If renewal discussions have not already started, there is very little time left. Losing these 3 contracts would remove $3.2M of annual revenue from the zone.
3
$3.2M at stake
Expiring 30–90 days
These 11 contracts are in the ideal renewal window — far enough away that negotiations can happen without pressure, close enough that the customer knows renewal is coming. This is when KAMs should be having proactive conversations about extending and potentially expanding the contract scope.
11
$8.9M in window
Due diligence pending
Due diligence is the verification process for new customers — checking their financial health, legal status, and whether they appear on any international sanctions lists. Lubmarine cannot sign a contract until this is complete. Each pending case represents a new customer and revenue that is waiting to start.
2
New customers
Volume shortfalls
4 customers are currently buying less than the minimum volume they agreed to in their contract. This is technically a contract breach. The commercial team needs to decide: is this temporary (fleet changes, seasonal) and can be overlooked, or is it persistent and should be formally flagged? The tool tracks how many consecutive months the shortfall has been happening to help make that decision.
4
Below agreed minimum
Expiry timeline — all contracts
The progress bar shows how much of the contract lifetime has already elapsed. A bar that is nearly full means the contract is almost over. Red = less than 30 days remaining (urgent). Orange = 30–90 days (act soon). Blue = 90+ days (plan ahead). Green = more than 6 months remaining (comfortable). The "days remaining" tag on the right shows the exact countdown.
All 107
Maersk Tankers — Europe Supply Agreement
8 days
Nordic Bulk AS — Quarterly Supply Contract
19 days
Pacific Carriers Ltd — Asia-Europe Route Supply
41 days
Hellenic Ferries — Mediterranean Supply Agreement
88 days
CMA CGM Group — Global Framework Agreement
290 days
Volume compliance — are customers buying the minimum they agreed to?
Every continuity supply contract includes a minimum volume commitment — the minimum amount the customer agrees to buy each month. If they buy less, it is a breach of contract. This table compares the agreed minimum against what is actually being ordered. The tool calculates the shortfall automatically and flags how many consecutive months the customer has been in breach, helping the commercial team decide when to escalate.
| Customer | Agreed minimum (MT/mo) | Actually buying (MT/mo) | Shortfall | Months in breach | Action needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Steel Shipping | 270 | 180 | −90 MT | 3 months | Escalate |
| Gulf Marine Corp | 200 | 165 | −35 MT | 1 month | Monitor |
| Linden Port Services | 150 | 130 | −20 MT | 2 months | Monitor |
| Stolt Tankers BV | 400 | 418 | +18 MT | — | Compliant |
Ask LubIQ
The AI chat connects directly to all the commercial data. Instead of opening Excel, building a pivot table, and filtering by customer — type a question in plain English and get an instant answer. The AI reads the live data and summarises the relevant information. It does not make up data — it only reports what is already in the system. This means even a Director or KAM who is not technical can get answers in seconds.
Ask anything about your commercial zone in plain English — no spreadsheet needed
LubIQ
Hello. I have live access to all commercial data across the 11 offices — volumes, contracts, pricing, customer health, and KAM performance. Ask me anything in plain English.
How it works
This page explains the technical approach behind LubIQ — how the data flows from source systems through to the dashboard you are looking at. The build is designed to be done in phases during June, starting with the data foundations before adding the visual and AI layers on top.
The technical approach — 4 layers built in sequence
01
Data sources
Week 1 of the June build. The goal is to understand where every number in the business actually comes from — which system, in which format, updated how often. No coding yet. Just mapping and asking questions.
The raw data already exists. It lives in the CRM (Salesforce — customer interactions), the order management system (sales volumes and invoices), and Excel files (contracts, pricing, rebates). Week 1 is spent mapping these sources — asking "where does this number come from?" before touching anything.
02
Data pipeline
Week 2. Connect the data sources to one clean central file. Power Query inside Excel is the simplest starting point — no IT permissions needed, uses tools the team already has. Python can be added later to automate the daily refresh.
Pull data from all sources into one clean central file using Power Query (Excel) or Python. Standardise formats — the same customer might be named differently in two systems. Set up a daily automatic refresh so the data is always current. Build reconciliation checks so errors are caught before they reach the dashboard.
03
Rules engine
Weeks 2–3. This is the logic layer — the IF statements that generate all the alerts and health scores automatically. None of this requires sophisticated programming. It is the same logic as an Excel formula, running automatically every morning on the clean data.
Write the rules that generate alerts and scores. "If contract expiry date minus today is less than 30, flag red." "If this month volume divided by last month volume is less than 0.85, flag as volume drop." "If (price − cost − transport) ÷ price is less than 0.14, flag margin warning." These run automatically every day — no manual checking needed.
04
Interface + AI
Weeks 3–4. The dashboard is built on top of the clean, structured data. The AI chat is added last — it connects to the same data and uses a language model API to translate plain English questions into answers. The AI does not invent data — it only summarises what is already in the system.
Build the dashboard on top of the clean data using Power BI or a web interface. Add the AI chat layer last — using an API like Claude or GPT to translate plain English questions into answers from the live data. The AI reads the structured data and writes a clear summary. Anyone on the team can use it without technical skills.
June build plan — week by week
This is the realistic scope for a 4-week June build. The goal is not a perfect finished product — it is a working first version that the team is already using and giving feedback on before the current apprentice leaves in August. That way the handover is smooth and the tool keeps improving throughout the full apprenticeship.
| Week | Focus | What gets built | Who I work with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Understand & map | Data source map, pain point list from Directors and KAMs, design validated before any build starts | Current apprentice, Directors, KAMs |
| Week 2 | Clean the data | Single clean data file, daily refresh, reconciliation checks, validated against source systems | IT team (data access), current apprentice |
| Week 3 | Build alerts + dashboard | Automated alert rules, contract tracker, margin checker, indexation calculator, KAM performance view | Directors (feedback on what they need) |
| Week 4 | Add AI + test | AI chat layer, health score logic, testing with 2–3 KAMs, fixing issues before August handover | KAMs (user testing), Directors (sign-off) |
World & Industry News
This section pulls the latest maritime industry news and geopolitical developments that directly affect Lubmarine's business. Events like the Strait of Hormuz crisis, new IMO regulations, or LNG fuel adoption all change which customers need what products and how commercial conversations need to shift. A KAM who knows the news before calling a customer is a much stronger KAM.
Live maritime intelligence · Geopolitics · Regulation · Fuel transition · Updated daily
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. About 20% of the world's oil passes through it. When it is disrupted — as it currently is due to the US-Iran conflict — tankers are rerouted, freight costs spike, and shipowners under Lubmarine contracts are directly affected. Some may reduce operations temporarily, which shows up as volume drops in the commercial data.
Disrupted
~130 vessels stranded · Apr 2026
Bunker fuel costs
Bunker fuel is the fuel ships burn. When bunker costs rise, shipowners look harder at every other operating cost — including lubricants. Higher fuel costs also affect Lubmarine's base oil prices (since base oil is a petroleum product), which triggers the indexation clauses in supply contracts. This is a live pressure point for the commercial team right now.
Surging
Emergency surcharges in force
IMO 2050 progress
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target to cut shipping's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. This is accelerating the adoption of LNG, methanol, and ammonia as ship fuels. Each new fuel type requires different lubricants — meaning Lubmarine must constantly update its product portfolio and retrain its KAMs on new technical specifications.
Accelerating
Ammonia engine milestone hit
Top stories — direct impact on Lubmarine
These stories are filtered specifically for relevance to Lubmarine's commercial zone. In a full version of the tool, this feed would pull automatically from maritime news APIs (gcaptain.com, splash247.com, seatrade-maritime.com) and use AI to tag each story by which office, product line, or customer segment it affects.
Apr 21, 2026
CRITICAL
Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed — 50 days into crisis
Why this matters to Lubmarine: The Persian Gulf zone includes Dubai — Lubmarine's highest-performing office. Several customers with ships in the Gulf have reduced operations or rerouted vessels. KAM Karim A. should be checking in with all Dubai customers to understand whether their operational changes affect their lubricant needs and contract volumes.
Multiple oil tankers have turned back from Strait of Hormuz transit attempts. US Central Command has extended its blockade beyond Iranian ports to cover all Iranian vessels under OFAC sanctions. Around 130 container ships and tankers remain stranded or anchored outside the Gulf of Oman. Major carriers have stated they will not resume Persian Gulf transits until safe passage is verified.
gCaptain · Splash247 · Apr 19–21, 2026
Affects: Dubai office · Tanker customers
URGENT
Transpacific spot rates +40% since February — market-wide sentiment shift
Why this matters: When freight rates spike, shipowners increase utilisation of their fleets — more voyages per vessel means more lubricant consumption per vessel per year. Conversely, if owners reduce operations due to high fuel costs, volume orders to Lubmarine may drop. The current market creates both opportunities and risks across the portfolio.
Asia-to-US West Coast rates reached ~$2,420/FEU in early April, up 11% week-on-week. Bunker fuel surcharges have been added across most major trade lanes. The increase is driven more by market sentiment and fuel cost pressure than genuine demand growth, according to Xeneta analysis.
Seavantage · Xeneta · Apr 2026
Affects: Container ship customers · Base oil pricing
IMPORTANT
First ammonia-burning engine completes factory acceptance test at HHI-EMD
Why this matters to Lubmarine: Ammonia-burning engines require completely different lubricants to LNG or diesel engines. As shipowners begin ordering ammonia-powered vessels, Lubmarine's technical and commercial teams need to be ready with the right products and pricing. This milestone signals ammonia is moving from concept to commercial reality faster than expected.
Everllence's ammonia-burning engine successfully completed its Factory Acceptance Test at Hyundai Heavy Industries Engine & Machinery Division. This represents a major milestone in alternative fuel adoption. Wärtsilä separately announced boosted ammonia engine output now matching LNG equivalent performance.
Marine Log · Apr 20, 2026
Affects: New fuel lubricant strategy · All offices
IMPORTANT
IMO Legal Committee approves new ship registration transparency guidelines
Why this matters: New ship registration rules affect due diligence processes. Lubmarine requires due diligence before signing contracts with new customers. Stricter international frameworks for verifying vessel ownership and flag state registration could change the documentation requirements and timelines for onboarding new accounts — relevant to the two pending due diligence cases currently in the system.
The IMO's Legal Committee has approved guidelines to improve transparency in ship registration and prevent fraudulent registrations. The guidelines close a regulatory gap where no binding international framework previously existed to govern vessel registration standards.
MarineLink · IMO · Apr 19, 2026
Affects: Due diligence process · New customer onboarding
WATCH
World's largest electric boxship sets sail in China — zero-lubricant propulsion implications
Fully electric vessels use electric motors instead of combustion engines. Electric motors require far less lubrication than diesel or LNG engines. While this technology is currently limited to short-sea and coastal routes, if it scales to deep-sea shipping it could reduce long-term demand for Lubmarine's products. This is a 10-year horizon risk — worth monitoring but not an immediate commercial concern.
China launched the world's largest electric container vessel, capable of operating on coastal routes. The vessel uses battery-electric propulsion. While currently limited to short coastal runs, the technology signals the direction of travel for short-sea shipping segments.
Splash247 · Apr 17, 2026
Affects: Long-term strategy · Short-sea segment
WATCH
NYK and Yara sign ammonia fuel partnership for Singapore supply
This represents one of the first commercial ammonia fuel supply agreements for shipping. As ammonia bunkering infrastructure develops in major ports like Singapore, the pace of ammonia vessel adoption will accelerate. Lubmarine's Singapore-adjacent operations need to monitor which customers are in this transition pipeline and begin technical conversations about lubricant requirements for ammonia engines.
NYK Bulkship, Golden Island, and Yara Clean Ammonia have signed a term sheet to supply low-carbon ammonia as marine fuel in Singapore. This is one of the first concrete steps toward commercial ammonia bunkering infrastructure in a major global hub port.
MarineLink · Apr 2026
Affects: Asia office · Future product planning
Commercial impact summary
This panel translates the news into direct commercial implications for the Lubmarine team. In the full tool, this would be AI-generated — the system reads the day's news and automatically writes a brief on how each story affects the zone's customers, contracts, and pricing.
Immediate commercial risk
Hormuz crisis may reduce Q2 volumes from tanker customers in the Dubai portfolio. KAM Karim A. should proactively contact all Gulf-region customers to understand operational status before volume drops appear in the data.
Pricing pressure
Surging bunker costs and base oil price movements will trigger multiple indexation adjustments in Q2. The Nordic Bulk AS overdue indexation is the most urgent — fix this week. Stolt Tankers due in 11 days.
Medium-term opportunity
Ammonia engine commercialisation is moving faster than expected. KAMs should be identifying which customers in their portfolio are ordering new builds or retrofits — these vessels will need new lubricant specifications from Lubmarine.
Regulatory watch
New IMO ship registration guidelines may tighten due diligence requirements. Update the onboarding checklist to reflect any new documentation standards before the two pending customers (Gulf Marine Corp) need to sign.
Key routes status
The world's most commercially important maritime chokepoints and trade routes. When any of these is disrupted, shipping activity changes dramatically — rerouting adds days and cost to voyages, which affects which ports ships call at, and therefore where and how much lubricant they need to buy.
Strait of Hormuz
Iran–Oman · 20% of global oil
Suez Canal
Egypt · Europe–Asia shortcut
Panama Canal
Americas · Pacific–Atlantic
Transpacific
Asia–US West Coast
North Sea / Baltic
Europe · Hamburg · Linden
Competitor Intelligence
Tracks news, moves, and pricing signals from Shell Marine, Castrol Marine, ExxonMobil Marine, and Chevron Marine — Lubmarine's four main global competitors. KAMs log intelligence when they lose deals or hear from customers. Over time this builds a picture of where competitors are aggressive, what they are offering, and where Lubmarine can win.
Shell Marine · Castrol Marine · ExxonMobil Marine · Chevron Marine · Updated from public sources & field intel
Shell Marine
Shell Marine is Lubmarine's largest global competitor. They recently won a multi-year contract with Carnival Corporation's 89-ship fleet. They offer LubeMonitor (a digital oil tracking platform via Kongsberg Digital) and leverage Shell's massive global bunker network as a cross-selling advantage. Their key strength is brand recognition and port coverage.
High threat
Won Carnival Corp fleet deal
Castrol Marine (BP)
Castrol is owned by BP. Importantly, BP announced plans to potentially divest Castrol (valued ~$10B), which creates uncertainty. Saudi Aramco has expressed interest in the India arm. This ownership uncertainty may affect Castrol's long-term contract stability — which is a commercial conversation Lubmarine KAMs can have with customers who are weighing their options.
Watch: divestiture
BP may sell — ownership unclear
ExxonMobil Marine
ExxonMobil Marine operates under the MobilGard brand. Present in 400+ ports (fewer than Lubmarine's 1,000+). Signed a B30 marine bio fuel agreement in the ARA region (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp). Their Cylinder Condition Monitoring service is a strong technical differentiator — similar to Lubmarine's LubDiag. Strong in North America.
Active
New bio fuel deal in ARA region
Chevron Marine
Chevron Marine (Taro Ultra range) has been expanding strategically — recently added Port Elizabeth, South Africa to serve vessels rerouting away from conflict zones. Their HDAX 9700 dual-fuel engine oil is a direct competitor to Lubmarine's Aurelia NGX for LNG/dual-fuel vessels. Growing presence in Africa and the Middle East rerouting market.
Expanding
Added South Africa port coverage
Latest competitor moves
These are recent publicly known actions by competitors — new contracts won, new products launched, new port coverage added, or pricing signals picked up from the field. In the full tool, this feed would pull automatically from competitor press releases and industry news, filtered by relevance to Lubmarine's commercial zone.
All moves
Shell Marine wins Carnival Corporation 89-ship contract
Shell Marine secured a multi-year global supply agreement with Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator. Includes carbon credit offsetting via Shell's nature-based credits. This is a significant win — 89 vessels, premium segment.
Castrol launches BioStat ST EAL stern tube oil range
New environmentally acceptable lubricant for stern tubes, CPP systems, and stabilisers. Synthetic ester base, designed to meet US EPA VIDA 2018 requirements. Direct competition to Lubmarine's EAL Bio range in the US and ecologically sensitive routes.
ExxonMobil signs B30 bio fuel agreement in ARA region
Agreement to supply B30 marine bio fuel oil in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub. This positions ExxonMobil as an integrated fuel + lubricant supplier in Europe's most important bunkering hub, giving them a cross-selling advantage over lubricant-only competitors.
Chevron expands to Port Elizabeth (South Africa) for Hormuz rerouting
Chevron added Port Elizabeth to their supply network specifically to serve vessels rerouting away from the Persian Gulf conflict zone. Smart opportunistic move — positioning at rerouting waypoints while competitors focus on traditional routes.
Castrol Cyltech 40 XDC — LNG/methanol cylinder oil launched
Castrol's dedicated cylinder oil for LNG and methanol-fuelled vessels directly competes with Lubmarine's Talusia Universal and Aurelia NGX 40. Launched in 2023 but gaining traction as LNG fleet grows. KAMs should be aware of this product in dual-fuel conversations.
Win/loss tracker — deals involving competitors
Every time a KAM wins or loses a deal where a competitor was involved, the reason is logged here. Over time, this builds a pattern: which competitor wins on price, which wins on service, which wins in which region. This is how the commercial team builds a real picture of the competitive landscape rather than guessing.
| Outcome | Customer | Competitor | Reason logged | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost | Baltic Bulk AS | Shell Marine | Price $28/MT lower | CPH |
| Lost | Aegean Carriers | Shell Marine | Price + service bundle | ATH |
| Lost | US Gulf Tankers | ExxonMobil | Local blending advantage | LIN |
| Lost | Adriatic Lines | Castrol Marine | LNG product preferred | MIL |
| Won | Bosphorus Ferry | vs Shell | Technical support + price | IST |
| Won | Gulf Petrochem | vs Chevron | Port coverage + LubDiag | DXB |
Where we are losing and why
This summary is auto-generated from the win/loss log. It identifies the most common reasons for losses by competitor, so the Directors can make strategic decisions — for example, if Shell is consistently winning on price in Copenhagen, should Lubmarine adjust its pricing strategy in Northern Europe?
Shell Marine — losing on price (Q1: 4 of 6 losses)
Average price gap when losing to Shell: $24–$32/MT. Primarily in Northern Europe (Copenhagen, Hamburg). Shell appears to be running an aggressive pricing strategy in this region. Recommend pricing review for Northern Europe portfolio.
Castrol Marine — losing on LNG product range (Q1: 2 losses)
Customers transitioning to LNG engines are considering Castrol Cyltech 40 XDC. Lubmarine's Aurelia NGX 40 is the direct response — KAMs need better training on how to position it against Castrol's product in dual-fuel conversations.
Where we are winning — technical service & port coverage
Both wins this quarter cited LubDiag oil analysis and port coverage as key differentiators. Lubmarine covers 1,000+ ports vs ExxonMobil's 400. This advantage should be emphasised more aggressively in pitches.
Margin Waterfall
A margin waterfall shows exactly where the money goes between what the customer pays and what Lubmarine keeps as profit. It breaks the price down step by step — product cost, blending, transport, port fees, rebate, and finally net margin. This makes it immediately clear which cost element is causing a margin problem on any given customer or deal.
Visualise exactly where margin is made or lost on any customer deal
Configure deal
The price charged to the customer per metric tonne. Change this to see how different price points affect the margin waterfall in real time. The waterfall on the right updates instantly.
Premium ports (Dubai, Hamburg, Rotterdam) have direct stock and lower delivery costs — around $12/MT. Core ports have slightly higher costs — around $18/MT. Limited ports require special logistics and cost $28–$35/MT. Port tier directly affects the margin.
If this customer has a rebate clause — e.g. they get 2% back at year end if they hit their volume threshold — that reduces the effective margin. Enter the rebate percentage here to see its impact on the waterfall.
Margin waterfall
Each bar shows one cost component being subtracted from the price. The bars go left to right: start with the full price charged, then subtract base oil cost, blending, transport, port fees, and rebate — what remains is the net margin. Red bars reduce margin. The final green bar is profit. This visual makes it immediately obvious which cost is eating into margin.
Zone-wide margin breakdown — all offices
This table shows the average margin breakdown for each office across their entire portfolio. It helps Directors understand why some offices have better margins than others — is it the product mix, the port costs, or the rebate levels? Understanding the drivers of margin difference is essential for setting realistic targets.
| Office | Avg price/MT | Base oil cost | Blending | Transport | Port fees | Rebates | Net margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | $940 | $620 | $42 | $12 | $8 | $11 | 19.9% |
| Hamburg | $910 | $620 | $42 | $13 | $9 | $14 | 23.3% (after rebates: 17.8%) |
| Athens | $870 | $620 | $42 | $14 | $12 | $10 | 16.3% |
| Copenhagen | $895 | $620 | $42 | $14 | $10 | $16 | 15.7% |
| Istanbul | $820 | $620 | $42 | $16 | $18 | $8 | 13.9% |
| Linden | $850 | $620 | $42 | $18 | $14 | $12 | 15.8% (declining) |
Istanbul's port fees ($18/MT vs $8–$12 elsewhere) are the primary driver of below-threshold margins. Linden's high transport costs reflect logistical complexity. Both should be reviewed with the pricing team.
Commercial Pitch Builder
When a KAM is preparing to pitch to a new customer or renew with an existing one, this tool generates a tailored one-page commercial argument in seconds. Instead of spending half a day researching and writing, the KAM enters a few details about the customer and the tool builds the pitch around the customer's specific fleet type, route, fuel type, and commercial situation.
Generate a tailored commercial pitch for any customer in under 2 minutes
Customer profile
The number of ships this customer operates. This affects the annual volume estimate and the commercial value of the deal — a 20-ship fleet is worth roughly 4x a 5-ship fleet for the same vessel type.
Different vessel types use different engines and need different lubricants. Container ships and bulk carriers use slow-speed 2-stroke engines (Talusia range). Ferries and cruise ships use 4-stroke medium-speed engines (Aurelia/Disola). Tankers vary. This determines which products to lead with in the pitch.
The fuel the customer's ships currently burn. This is critical — different fuels require completely different lubricant formulas. A customer transitioning from HFO to LNG needs a different cylinder oil. Getting this right in the pitch shows technical credibility.
Generated pitch
This pitch is generated from the customer profile on the left. It is designed to be used as a one-page talking document before a call or meeting — not read aloud, but used as a framework. The KAM customises it further with their personal knowledge of the customer relationship.
Fill in the customer profile and click "Generate pitch" to create a tailored commercial argument.
Weekly Briefing
Every Monday morning, LubIQ automatically generates and sends a personalised briefing email to each Director and KAM. The email is built from live data — no manual work required. It covers last week's performance, the top 3 things needing attention, upcoming deadlines, and one market insight. This replaces 2–3 hours of manual report preparation every week.
Auto-generated every Monday from live data · Personalised per recipient · Zero manual work
Briefing settings
Sent to
Directors: Both zone Directors (Monday 7am)
KAMs: All 15 KAMs (Monday 8am, personalised)
Language: English (French version coming)
KAMs: All 15 KAMs (Monday 8am, personalised)
Language: English (French version coming)
Director briefing includes
Zone volume & revenue vs target
Top 3 offices by performance
All urgent alerts (contracts, indexations, churn)
Competitive intelligence summary
Key industry news affecting the zone
Top 3 offices by performance
All urgent alerts (contracts, indexations, churn)
Competitive intelligence summary
Key industry news affecting the zone
KAM briefing includes
Personal volume vs target
Customer alerts in their portfolio only
Contracts expiring in their accounts
Indexations due this week
One action item — most urgent thing to do
Customer alerts in their portfolio only
Contracts expiring in their accounts
Indexations due this week
One action item — most urgent thing to do
Time saved
Est. 2–3 hours/week of manual report preparation replaced entirely.
Next briefing
Monday, April 28 at 7:00 AM
Will include: Maersk Tankers contract status (expiry in 15 days by then), Nordic Bulk indexation resolution status, Istanbul office Q2 recovery plan, Hormuz situation update.
The Maersk contract alert will escalate to CRITICAL if no renewal is confirmed by this date.
Briefing preview
This is a preview of what the actual weekly email looks like. Click "Preview Director version" or "Preview KAM version" above to generate a live example. In the real system, this is sent automatically — no one has to write, format, or send it.
Click "Preview Director version" or "Preview KAM version" to generate the weekly email.