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Our approach to fuels and lubricants

We have the largest retail network in the world, with around 45,000 Shell service stations in more than 90 countries. Every day, we sell 350 million litres of transport fuel to some 10 million customers and are the largest marketer of lubricants. As ever, we are determined not to put our customers, the community or the environment at risk.

We take a structured and long-term approach to the product stewardship of our fuels and lubricants. It is essential that we identify, manage and minimise the health, safety and environmental risks of a product. And this is for the product’s whole lifecycle, from product design to removal from the market.

Customer at a Shell station in the United Kingdom

We manage the potential risks of our products in three key areas:

The risk to the health and safety of everyone who handles or uses our fuel.
The risk to the environment of our fuels on the air, soil and water - throughout the lifecycle.
The risk of financial liabilities and costs for refining, selling or distributing a fuel that is in any way unfit for purpose.

We take a comprehensive approach to countering these risks by:

Developing fuels policies to support marketing and health, safety and environmental objectives.
Co-ordinating quality assurance from the refinery to the customers' fuel tank.
Ensuring that new and existing fuels are fit for purpose and can be managed safely.
Maintaining a dialogue on international fuels issues with stakeholders including governments, authorities, automotive manufacturers and non-government organisations (NGOs).

Read about how we are helping to improve paraffin safety in South Africa.