Argentina’s national oil company YPF remained the country’s largest lubricants supplier in 2022 even as its share of total sales fell to a five-year low.

Shell remained the country’s second-largest lube supplier, and Total Especialidades Argentina (Total) the third largest.

Argentina’s lube consumption of around 265,100mᶟ (234,800t) in 2022 rose by 9pc from 244,200mᶟ the previous year.

The rise in demand reflected the relative strength of lube consumption in the Americas market last year, especially compared with other regions.

YPF accounted for more than 40pc of Argentina’s lube consumption in 2022, government data showed.

The share fell from more than 41pc in 2021 amid a drop in its share of automobile lubricant sales.

Shell’s market share rose to more than 26pc of the total in 2022, up from around 24pc the previous year.

Its share of Argentina’s lube sales rose every year from 2017, when its sales accounted for less than 18pc of the country’s lube market.

Shell’s share of Argentina’s automobile lubricants market rose to more than 24pc of the total in 2022. The share was up from little more than 21pc in 2021 and from less than 15pc in 2017.

Total’s market share fell below 13pc of total lube sales in 2022, from more than 14pc the previous year.

Pan American Energy remained the country’s fourth-largest lube supplier with a share of more than 7pc of the total.

The same four companies in the same order remained Argentina’s largest lube suppliers in January.

But YPF’s market share fell back to a four-month low of less than 39pc of the total.

Total’s market share rebounded to more than 15pc of the total, from less than 10pc the previous month.