Equator

What Equator does

Equator (legal name: Công ty TNHH Thương Mại và Dịch Vụ Xích Đạo) is a privately held Vietnamese limited liability company founded in 1995 and headquartered at 146 Khánh Hội, Quận 4, Ho Chi Minh City. Since 2007 the company has operated as the authorized distributor of ExxonMobil's Mobil marine lubricants in Vietnam, transitioning from its prior logistics business. Equator maintains a nationwide footprint through six branch offices covering the principal Vietnamese maritime hubs — Ho Chi Minh City, Cai Mep / Phu My (Ba Ria-Vung Tau), Can Tho, Qui Nhon, Da Nang, and Hai Phong — and connects into ExxonMobil's global port network of more than 650 ports.

The company's core offering is the Mobil marine lubricant portfolio, spanning the Mobilgard engine oil family (HSD, 12 Series, M20/M30/M40/M50, 540 AC, 450 NC, 300 C, 570) for high-speed, medium-speed, and slow-speed diesel engines operating on HFO, VLSFO, LNG, and low-sulfur distillates, plus Mobil SHC Aware environmentally acceptable lubricants, Mobil Delvac 1, and a full auxiliary range of circulating, gear, hydraulic, refrigeration compressor, air compressor, and grease products. Underpinning the product offering are two ExxonMobil technical services that Equator facilitates: Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis and Mobil Serv Cylinder Condition Monitoring (CCM), the latter using XRF instrumentation, scan-and-go sampling, cloud-based reporting, and a database of more than 500,000 scrape-down oil samples to detect under/over-lubrication, cold corrosion, and cat fines.

Equator generates revenue primarily from transactional distribution of Mobil lubricants purchased at distributor pricing and resold to ship owners, fishing fleet operators, shipyards, and offshore service companies, supplemented by bundled technical advisory services (lubrication optimization, IMO 2020 / VGP compliance guidance) and subscription-style Mobil Serv oil analysis and CCM engagements. GTM is direct B2B, relationship-driven, with named sales contacts at each branch and content marketing via the equator.com.vn technical blog. The company was recognized with the ExxonMobil Marine Channel Partner Award in 2023.

Name

Equator

Legal name

Công ty TNHH Thương Mại và Dịch Vụ Xích Đạo

Website

https://equator.com.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Equator (Xích Đạo) is the authorized Vietnamese distributor of ExxonMobil's Mobil marine lubricants, supplying Mobilgard engine oils, EAL lubricants, and Mobil Serv oil analysis services to ship owners, fishing fleets, shipyards, and offshore operators across six Vietnamese port cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Lubricants Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Lubricants Supply & Services (Cylinder/System Oils) (TLAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Offshore Lubricants (Cylinder Oils, System Oils, EALs) (EUALAJAI), Marine Lubricants (IMAEAMAM), Marine MRO Parts & Consumables Distribution (TLAKAOAJ)

Keywords

• Marine lubricant distribution
• Ship engine oils
• Marine lubrication services
• Cylinder condition monitoring
• Vessel maintenance products

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Chi Minh City

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Marine Lubricant Distribution: Equator generates revenue through the sale of Mobil marine lubricant products including engine oils, cylinder oils, system oils, gear oils, hydraulic oils, greases, and auxiliary lubricants. As an authorized distributor of ExxonMobil, the company purchases lubricants at distributor pricing and resells to maritime operators, ship owners, fishing vessels, shipyards, and offshore companies across Vietnam.
2. Technical Support & Advisory Services: Equator provides technical advisory services alongside product sales, including product selection guidance, lubrication optimization recommendations, and support for regulatory compliance (IMO 2020 sulphur cap, VGP). These services are bundled with product sales to drive lubricant consumption and customer loyalty.
3. Mobil Serv℠ Oil Analysis & Cylinder Condition Monitoring: Subscription-based oil analysis and cylinder condition monitoring services powered by ExxonMobil's Mobil Serv℠ platform. Services include sample collection, XRF laboratory analysis, cloud-based reporting, and actionable engine health insights. The company facilitates customer enrollment and sample processing through ExxonMobil's network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Equator is the authorized distributor of Mobil marine lubricants in Vietnam, supplying a comprehensive portfolio of engine oils, cylinder oils, system oils, gear oils, greases, and auxiliary lubricants to maritime operators. The company also delivers Mobil Serv technical services, including Lubricant Analysis and Cylinder Condition Monitoring (XRF-based, cloud-enabled engine health diagnostics), bundled with technical advisory support to vessel owners, fishing fleets, shipyards, and offshore service companies.

Product overview

Equator (Xích Đạo) is an authorized distributor of Mobil marine lubricants in Vietnam, offering a comprehensive portfolio of marine lubricant products and services. The portfolio centers around Mobilgard™ series products (including HSD, 12 Series, M50, M30, M40, M20, 540 AC, 450 NC, 300 C, 570 variants) for various engine types including high-speed, medium-speed, and slow-speed diesel engines, supplemented by Mobil SHC™ Aware™ environmentally acceptable lubricants and Mobil Delvac 1™ products. Auxiliary products include circulating and gear oils, refrigeration compressor oils, air compressor oils, greases, and hydraulic oils. Services include Mobil Serv℠ Lubricant Analysis and Mobil Serv℠ Cylinder Condition Monitoring for predictive maintenance and engine health monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobilgard HSD 15W-40 High-performance heavy-duty diesel engine oil formulated for high-speed modern marine diesel engines operating in severe applications.
• Mobilgard HSD 20W-50 High-performance heavy-duty diesel engine oil providing proven protection for diesel engines in severe applications, helping save fuel and ensure reliable operations.
• Mobilgard 12 Series High-performance diesel oils for marine trunk piston engines operating on low sulphur distillate fuels, available in SAE 30 and 40 with TBN 15.
• Mobilgard M50 High-performance TBN 50 marine engine oil formulated for medium-speed diesel engines running on distillate fuels.
• Mobilgard M30 Series Extra-high-performance diesel engine oils for medium-speed engines in deep-sea, coastal, and river vessels operating on heavy fuel oil.
• Mobilgard M40 Series Extra-high-performance TBN 40 engine oils (Mobilgard M340 and M440) for severe, residual-fuelled, medium-speed diesel applications.
• Mobilgard 540 AC Premium 40BN marine cylinder oil with MAN ES Category II approval, recommended for MAN ES Mark 9 and higher 2-stroke marine engine designs.
• Mobilgard M20 Series 20 BN diesel engine oils designed for medium-speed engines using fuels with 0.50% and 0.10% sulfur content and LNG.
• Mobilgard 450 NC Zinc-free, chlorine-free lubricant formulated to meet requirements of heavy-duty diesel engines.
• Mobilgard 300 C New-generation system oil formulated to improve cleanliness in 2-stroke crosshead engines.
• Mobilgard 570 Engine oil formulated for 2-stroke marine diesel engines operating on heavy fuel oil with sulfur content up to 3.5%.
• Mobil SHC Aware Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL) compliant with US EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) 2013, designed for environmentally conscious marine operations.
• Mobil Delvac 1 High-performance engine oil brand for heavy-duty marine and commercial applications.
• Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis Advanced lubricant analysis service that simplifies monitoring of lubrication systems, providing technical monitoring and optimization recommendations.
• Mobil Serv Cylinder Condition Monitoring Next-generation onboard scrape-down oil analysis service using XRF technology and a cloud-based platform to deliver real-time engine health reports, scan-and-go sampling, and benchmarking against a database of over 500,000 samples.
• Circulating and Gear Oils Lubricants for circulating systems and gear applications in marine vessels.
• Refrigeration Compressor Oils Specialized lubricants for refrigeration compressors in marine applications.
• Air Compressor Oils Lubricants for air compressors in marine and industrial applications.
• Greases (Mỡ bôi trơn) Lubricating greases for various marine auxiliary machinery applications.
• Hydraulic Oils Hydraulic oils for marine hydraulic systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oil drain interval extension of up to 200% for fishing vessel engines (Chan Seng Huat case study)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ExxonMobilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquator is the authorized distributor (Nhà Phân Phối Chính Hãng) of Mobil marine lubricants for the Vietnamese market. The partnership provides Equator with exclusive rights to distribute the full Mobil marine lubricant portfolio, access to ExxonMobil's global port network (650+ ports), Mobil Serv℠ technical services platform, product training, technical support, and eligibility for the ExxonMobil Channel Partner Award program. Equator has held this authorized distributor status since at least 1995 (when the company transitioned from logistics to marine lubricants), and was recognized with the Marine Channel Partner Award 2023 by ExxonMobil.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Idemitsu Marine Lubricants: Idemitsu is a Japanese oil major with a dedicated marine lubricant range (marine engine oils, cylinder oils) sold across Asia. It is comparable in scale and product depth to the Mobil portfolio that Equator handles and serves similar Asian shipping customers.
• Wilhelmsen (Marine Products division): Wilhelmsen's Marine Products business distributes marine lubricants, chemicals and equipment to ship owners and operators globally through its own port-based service network. Its distribution-led, port-anchored business model is closely analogous to Equator's Mobil distribution model in Vietnam.
• Maritec Group (Singapore): Maritec is an independent marine lubricant testing, oil analysis and fuel quality service provider based in Singapore, serving ship owners across Asia. Its oil analysis service offering is directly analogous to Equator's Mobil Serv® Lubricant Analysis and Cylinder Condition Monitoring services.

Emerging players

• SK Marine Lubricants (SK Energy / SK Enmove): SK Enmove markets marine engine oils and base oils under the SK brand, with growing presence in Asia. As an Asian-headquartered challenger expanding its marine lubricants footprint, it represents a credible emerging alternative to the Mobil portfolio Equator distributes.

Broad incumbents

• Castrol Marine (BP): Castrol Marine supplies marine engine oils, cylinder oils and gear oils globally under BP ownership, with established distributor networks in Asia. Its portfolio directly competes with the Mobil products that Equator distributes to Vietnamese operators.
• Lukoil Marine Lubricants: Lukoil produces a full marine lubricant range (Avia, Navigator, Armortech) and sells internationally through authorized distributors. Its product lineup and authorized-distributor GTM closely mirror Equator's Mobil distribution business.
• Shell Marine Products (Shell plc): Shell Marine is one of the world's largest marine lubricants suppliers, offering engine oils, cylinder oils and gear oils to global shipping operators. It competes head-to-head with the Mobil portfolio that Equator distributes in Vietnam, but operates as a much broader, vertically integrated major rather than a regional distributor.
• Petronas Marine Lubricants: Petronas markets a dedicated marine lubricant range and is active across Southeast Asia. It competes for the same Vietnamese shipping and offshore customers that Equator serves, and uses an authorized-distributor model similar to Equator's.
• Chevron Marine Lubricants: Chevron's marine lubricants division offers the Teceol and Clarity cylinder oils plus diesel engine oils for global shipping. It is a direct competitor to the Mobil portfolio in Vietnam and the broader Southeast Asian bunker market.
• TotalEnergies Marine Lubricants: TotalEnergies is a global leader in marine lubricants with a comprehensive cylinder oil and engine oil portfolio. Its products (e.g., Talusia) directly rival Mobilgard and are sold through authorized distributors across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Equator