Oil Check Laboratory Services

What Oil Check Laboratory Services does

Oil Check Laboratory Services (OCLS) is a UK-based independent oil and fuel testing laboratory headquartered in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, acquired by POLARIS Laboratories in April 2026 while continuing to operate independently. The company provides scheduled lubricant and fuel condition monitoring services to industrial asset operators across marine, road haulage, construction plant, mining, rail, wind energy (onshore and offshore), and power generation, supporting both scheduled oil analysis programmes and ad-hoc fuel quality diagnostics. Core testing capabilities are built around a modern instrument stack including Agilent ICP-OES 5110 elemental spectroscopy, Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS10 FTIR, Karl Fischer moisture titration, Houillon kinematic viscometers, HIACS PODS+ particle counting, Setaflash closed-cup flash testers, and Megger OTS100AF/2 transformer oil testing, all held to ISO 9001:2015 quality certification.

OCLS monetises through a mix of pay-as-you-go kit sales (Standard Suite Kit at £41.50, Oil++/Fuel/Coolant/Grease Kits at £55.00, plus accessories such as a £35 extraction pump and £385 start-up case) and recurring laboratory analysis services with a standard 48-hour turnaround, often delivered next working day. Customer-facing delivery is anchored by the proprietary OilSpy online portal — developed with Jalapeno IT — which provides report access, data management, and historical trending, and integrates with Emerson OilView. The company also serves as UK distributor for Micro Separator fuel filtration equipment, adding a hardware dimension to the laboratory service.

Commercial go-to-market combines direct phone and email sales (01302 329609, [email protected]) with a January 2024-launched self-service online store powered by Worldpay, and content-led demand generation through oil-analysis.org. Operational differentiation rests on independent (non-OEM-tied) reporting, fast turnaround frequently cited in customer testimonials, and accumulated per-asset baselines built through recurring programmes. Ownership remains with founder Mike Volante following the POLARIS acquisition, with operations continuing from the same Doncaster laboratory and team.

Name

Oil Check Laboratory Services

Legal name

Oil Check Laboratory Services Ltd

Website

https://www.oil-analysis.org/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oil Check Laboratory Services is a UK-based independent oil and fuel testing laboratory in Doncaster, providing scheduled lubricant condition monitoring, fuel analysis and transformer oil DGA to marine, construction, mining, rail, wind energy, and power generation customers, with reports delivered through its OilSpy portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lubricant and Fuel Analysis Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Lubrication, Oil Analysis & Tribology Services (EUAEAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Diesel Emissions Testing & Opacity/Smoke Testing (TLAKANAG)

Keywords

• Oil analysis services
• Fuel testing
• Condition monitoring
• Lubricant testing
• Transformer oil testing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Oil and Fuel Analysis Testing Services: Laboratory testing services for engine oils, diesel fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, greases, coolants, and transformer oils. Testing includes full spectrographic analysis (ICP-AES), viscosity, water content, particle counting, TAN/TBN, flashpoint, and FTIR. Standard 48-hour turnaround with reports delivered by email in PDF or digital format.
2. Sampling Kits and Oil Testing Products: Sale of oil sampling kits including Standard Suite Analysis (£41.50), Oil++ Kits for chillers/turbines/gas engines (£55.00), Fuel Sampling Kits (£55.00), Coolant/DEF/Adblue Kits (£55.00), Grease Kits (£55.00). Also sampling accessories including pumps (£35.00) and start-up carrying cases (£385.00).
3. Fuel Filtration and Polishing Equipment: Diesel fuel filtration equipment, filter rigs, online filtration systems, and accessories available on request. UK Distributor for Micro Separator range of products.
4. Consultation and Technical Support: Free consultation and aftercare support included with analysis services. Additional paid services include thermography, brake fluid analysis, and bespoke specialised analyses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Oil Check Laboratory Services (OCLS) operates a UK-based independent laboratory providing scheduled oil and fuel analysis testing services for industrial customers across mining, construction, marine, wind energy, rail, and road transport sectors. Core services include ICP-AES elemental analysis, viscosity, Karl Fischer moisture, FTIR, particle counting (ISO 4406), TAN/TBN, flashpoint, transformer DGA, and grease testing, with standard 48-hour report turnaround delivered via the OilSpy online portal. The company also sells physical oil and fuel sampling kits, sample extraction pumps, and acts as UK distributor for Micro Separator diesel fuel filtration equipment.

Product overview

Oil Check Laboratory Services (OCLS) offers a comprehensive lubricant and fuel analysis service centred on its Oil Condition Monitoring Programme — a scheduled oil analysis service for engine oils, hydraulic fluids, greases, and gearboxes. The core offering is backed by a suite of testing capabilities including ICP-AES elemental spectroscopy, viscosity testing, Karl Fischer moisture titration, FTIR spectroscopy, particle counting (ISO 4406), TAN & TBN analysis, and flashpoint testing. OCLS also provides diesel fuel testing and filtration, transformer oil testing, grease testing, and coolant/AdBlue analysis. Physical products include a range of sampling kits (oil, fuel, coolant, grease, and specialist chillers/turbines/gas engine kits), sample extraction pumps, and start-up carrying cases. Results are delivered via the OilSpy online portal (PDF reports also available). The company was acquired by POLARIS Laboratories® in April 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OilSpy: Online reporting portal for customers to access oil and fuel testing reports

Products and services

• Oil Condition Monitoring Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly sampling provides 90% range of sample detection before unit failure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage CentreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOCLS sponsors the Avro Lancaster NX611 'Just Jane' aircraft restoration project by the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. OCLS undertakes annual oil testing on all cranes under contract with the centre.
• Micro Separator (UK Distribution)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOCLS is the official UK Distributor for the Micro Separator range of products, including diesel fuel filtration equipment, cabinet tank systems, portable fuel polishing systems, and online filtration solutions.
• Jalapeno (IT Solutions)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated with Jalapeno IT solutions company to develop the OilSpy online portal, replacing the older OilLabData software. The portal provides online report access, data management, and trending capabilities for customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection and certification company with industrial oil and fuel testing services. Represents the 'big company' competitor referenced in OCLS customer testimonials, with global key-account coverage OCLS cannot match organically.
• Intertek: Global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) major with industrial condition monitoring and lubricant/fuel testing capabilities. Competes with OCLS on multi-site enterprise accounts and can absorb OCLS's target customers as part of broader vendor consolidation.
• ALS Limited: International testing services group with oil, fuel and environmental analytical labs. Provides competing condition monitoring and lubricant analysis services across asset-intensive industries overlapping with OCLS's vertical mix.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC incumbent with oil condition monitoring, fuel testing, and asset integrity services for marine, mining, power and transport. Competes for the same enterprise customers OCLS serves, particularly in marine and offshore wind.
• POLARIS Laboratories: Global fluid analysis and reliability services provider that acquired OCLS in April 2026. Directly comparable lubricant and fluid condition monitoring offering with broader geographic footprint and larger testing menu; OCLS now operates as its UK/EU regional node.

Direct peers

• TestOil: US-based oil analysis laboratory offering ICP, FTIR, viscosity, particle counting and condition monitoring programmes for industrial and fleet customers. Operates a similar independent-lab business model with online reporting and recurring sampling programmes.
• WearCheck: Independent oil and lubricant condition monitoring laboratory with comparable service menu (ICP elemental, FTIR, particle counting, DGA) across mining, power generation, transport, marine, and industrial end markets. Closest like-for-like independent competitor with international footprint.
• Fluitec International: Independent condition monitoring specialist focused on lubricant and varnish analysis for industrial and power generation assets. Closely comparable niche-lab positioning with complementary DGA, varnish (ASTM D7843), and oil analysis services.

Regional players

• Azima DLI: US-based condition monitoring and reliability services provider offering oil analysis, vibration, and remote monitoring. Comparable service mix for industrial customers but primarily serves the North American market, making it a regional rather than direct UK competitor.

Others

• Spectro Scientific: Manufacturer of inline and laboratory oil analysis instruments (spectrometers, particle counters, FTIR). Complementary ecosystem player - OCLS uses comparable analytical platforms - and an enabler/adjacent supplier rather than a direct testing competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

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 Oil Check Laboratory Services