Ergon Europe MEA, Inc., last Wednesday announced it has appointed Orbichem Petrochemicals Pty Ltd (Orbichem) as its exclusive naphthenic insulating oil, base oil, and process oil distributor in South Africa and the sub-Saharan African region.

Orbichem, a member of the Calulo Group of companies, is an established regional distributor and marketer of petrochemical products, specializing in premium base oils and specialty oils.

Cliff Classen, CEO of Orbichem said, “The partnership with Ergon ushers in a new era not just for Orbichem, but for the region as a whole. Having Ergon’s range of oils available to the region is a major boon. That Ergon chose Orbichem as its partner in Africa is also a landmark sign of support for new, emerging African-owned businesses in the oil industry.”

Per Klintstam, President of Ergon Europe MEA said, “Bringing our products to South Africa and the sub-Saharan African region is an important step in Ergon’s strategy to make our naphthenic oils available across the globe. In Orbichem, we have found an ideal partner to achieve steady, long-term growth in the region. We’re excited about this opportunity to provide Ergon’s base oil, process oil, and transformer oil products to a wide range of new customers.‘

Located in Waterloo, Belgium, Ergon Europe MEA, Inc., is a wholly owned operating subsidiary of Ergon Refining Inc., for base oils produced at the company’s naphthenic specialty oil refinery located in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Vicksburg refinery has a capacity exceeding 1,200,000 tons per year, making it the largest naphthenic manufacturing plant in the world.