United States General Accounting Office
GAO Report to the Chairman and
Ranking Minority Member,
Committee on Environment and
Public Works, U.S. Senate
January 2003
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
Information on the
Purchase, Use, and
Disposal of Engine
Lubricating Oil
GAO-03-340
January 2003
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Information on the Purchase, Use, and
Highlights of GAO-03-340, a report to the Disposal of Engine Lubricating Oil
Chairman and Ranking Minority Member,
Committee on Environment and Public
Works, U.S. Senate
Concerned with the time, money, There is no aggregate data on the purchase, use, and disposal of engine
and resources that the federal lubricating oil for the federal government as a whole. However, the three
government expends servicing its agencies included in GAO’s review—USPS, DOD, and GSA—collectively
vehicle and engine fleet, the bought nearly 41 million quarts of engine lubricating oil, valued at about
Committee asked GAO to compile $37.3 million, from fiscal years 1999 to 2001.
information on the government’s
use of engine lubricating oil.
Only limited data is available on the costs for disposing and recycling engine
GAO was asked to determine: lubricating oil used in the land-based vehicle fleets of these three agencies.
The Army and Navy maintain some disposal data, but the Air Force, GSA,
• How much engine lubricating and USPS do not have any aggregate information available. In addition,
oil the federal government information is not readily available on the number of labor hours and costs
bought in fiscal years 1999, incurred in changing oil in the agencies’ vehicles. Finally, it is difficult, if not
2000, and 2001; impossible, to estimate the costs of transporting engine lubricating oil during
• What costs are incurred for the military operations because the transportation costs depend largely on the
disposal and recycling of specific scenario.
engine lubricating oil;
• What costs are incurred for
changing motor oil in military
Several methods were identified for reducing the cost and use of engine
and civilian fleets; lubricating oil:
• What logistical implications
exist for the transport of • Bypass filters, used in conjunction with traditional oil filters, can
engine lubricating oil during substantially reduce the number of oil changes required by increasing
recent military operations; and the intervals between oil changes by two to ten times.
• What options exist for • Synthetic lubricating oils have the potential to increase the length of
reducing purchase, time between oil changes, reduce engine wear, and enhance the engine’s
maintenance, and disposal operation over a greater range of temperatures.
costs for engine lubricating oil. • Oil analysis programs can also reduce engine oil use. These programs
determine when it is time to change the oil by testing its condition in the
To conduct its study, GAO focused
on three agencies that account for engine rather than by following a regularly scheduled oil change based
79 percent of all non-tactical on mileage or usage.
vehicles owned or leased by the
U.S. government: the U.S. Postal Engine Lubricating Oil Purchases for Selected Agencies (FY 1999-2001)
Service (USPS), the Department of
Defense (DOD), and the General DOD/Military
Services Administration (GSA). It Air Marine
compiled information only on Fiscal year Army Force Navy Corps Total USPS GSA Total
engine lubricating oil used in Dollars in millions
ground vehicles and equipment and 2001 $6.2 $1.5 $0.9 $0.7 $9.3 $2.1 $1.5 $12.9
not in aircraft and ships. 2000 6.1 1.4 1.0 0.6 9.1 2.0 1.5 12.6
1999 5.3 1.7 0.7 0.5 8.2 2.2 1.4 11.8
Total $17.6 $4.6 $2.6 $1.8 $26.6 $6.3 $4.4 $37.3
Quarts in millions
2001 6.4 1.7 1.0 0.8 9.9 2.1 1.4 13.4
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-340. 2000 6.8 1.8 1.3 0.7 10.6 2.1 1.3 14.0
1999 6.0 2.1 1.0 0.6 9.7 2.3 1.3 13.3
To view the full report, including the scope
and methodology, click on the link above. Total 19.2 5.6 3.3 2.1 30.2 6.5 4.0 40.7
For more information, contact William M. Solis
at (202) 512-8365 or solisw@gao.gov. Source: Data and estimates provided by USPS, GSA, and DOD.
Contents
Letter 1
Appendix I Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works 6
Abbreviations
AOAP Army Oil Analysis Program
DLA Defense Logistics Agency
DOD Department of Defense
GSA General Services Administration
NCDOT North Carolina Department of Transportation
USPS U.S. Postal Service
Page i GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
United States General Accounting Office
Washington, DC 20548
January 2, 2003
The Honorable James M. Jeffords
Chairman
The Honorable Bob Smith
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Environment and Public Works
United States Senate
As you requested, we are providing you with information on the purchase,
use, and disposal of engine lubricating oil by the federal government. You
were concerned about the money, time, and resources that the federal
government spends servicing its vehicle and engine fleet. As agreed with
your offices, our work focused, to the extent that data was available, on
the following five areas:
• How much engine lubricating oil did the federal government purchase and
what did those purchases cost for each of the most recent 3 fiscal years for
which such information was available?
• How much in direct costs did the federal government pay for the disposal
and/or recycling of engine lubricating oil in each of the most recent 3 fiscal
years for which such information was available?
• How much in direct contracted costs or federal employee labor costs were
incurred by the federal government for the changing of motor oil in federal
civilian and military fleet engines in each of the most recent 3 fiscal years
for which such information was available?
• What were the costs and other logistical implications for the transport of
engine lubricating oil by the military in recent military operations such as
the Persian Gulf War and peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans?
• What are options for reducing the costs of the purchase, maintenance, and
disposal of engine lubricating oil, including the use of technologies that
would eliminate the need for frequent oil changes?
On November 21, 2002, we provided your offices with a briefing on the
results of this review, including our scope and methodology. This report
transmits the briefing, which is reprinted as an appendix.
Page 1 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
There is no aggregate data on the purchase, use, and disposal of engine
Summary lubricating oil for the federal government. The three agencies included in
our review—the Department of Defense (DOD), the General Services
Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Postal Service—collectively purchased
about 41 million quarts of engine lubricating oil, valued at about
$37.3 million, from 1999 to 2001. DOD’s data reflects purchases that the
military services made from the Defense Logistics Agency for both combat
and commercial-type vehicles, but it does not include oil that the services
bought from commercial vendors on the local economy.1 DOD officials
could not estimate the magnitude of these purchases from the commercial
market. Because GSA does not perform oil changes itself, its data is based
on estimates of the number of oil changes that commercial vendors or
other federal maintenance facilities performed on the fleet. As such, the
cost of the oil used in these changes cannot be identified separately from
other maintenance costs. GSA’s data excludes oil changes performed on
GSA vehicles by other federal agencies’ maintenance facilities. The Postal
Service’s data may not include some oil purchases, such as oil bought
using petty cash, and oil changes performed by commercial vendors.
However, Postal Service officials estimate that the amount of purchases
not captured in this data is minimal (1 percent or less).
Our work indicated that only limited data on engine oil disposal and
recycling costs is available from the agencies we reviewed. The Air Force
and Postal Service do not have any aggregate disposal data available for
engine lubricating oil. GSA also does not have disposal data because it
relies on commercial vendors or other federal maintenance facilities to
change and dispose of oil. However, the Army and Navy do maintain some
information on engine oil disposal. For example, the Chief of Naval
Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps report annually on
disposal and recycling costs/quantities for waste oil for Navy and Marine
Corps installations. On average, the Navy and Marine Corps annually
disposed of 14,741 tons and 2,892 tons of waste oil, respectively during
fiscal years 1999 to 2001. The Army has disposal data for only a few
selected installations from its automated hazardous materials tracking
system, which has been partially fielded only as a pilot project thus far.
Our review indicated that records on actual labor hours and costs incurred
for oil changes are not readily available at the three agencies we reviewed.
1
DOD’s data includes engine lubricating oil used in internal combustion engines for ground
vehicles and equipment, but does not include lubricating oil for aircraft or ship engines.
Page 2 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
However, we noted that some data exists that would help them estimate
labor hours and other costs for oil changes for selected vehicles. For
example, Army officials told us that a draft Army Oil Analysis Program
study includes estimated data on labor and other costs for oil changes on
selected tactical vehicles. Also, GSA and Postal Service officials said they
could estimate the number of oil changes for their vehicle fleets based on
maintenance schedules. They could then calculate the costs for an oil
change after making certain assumptions, such as the amount and cost of
labor involved in making each oil change and that oil changes were
actually performed as scheduled.
DOD officials told us that transportation costs for engine lubricating oil
during military operations are scenario dependant and difficult, if not
impossible, to determine. Typically, the military services store and
transport oil to sustain them for the short term during contingency
operations, usually for the first 30 days. They usually transport oil with
other supplies and equipment or preposition oil supplies on ships or
land overseas.
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) generally provides for follow-on
supplies to the theater, which are requisitioned by the services as needed.
DLA may transport oil to the theater from the United States or purchase it
locally at overseas locations where needed, depending on the specific
operation to be supported. In the case of Desert Storm, for example,
DLA officials stated that some engine lubricating oil was provided by
Saudi Arabia at no cost to the U.S. government, while some oil was
purchased commercially by DLA from the United Kingdom.
Our limited literature search and discussions with agency officials to date
have identified several options for reducing the costs of engine lubricating
oil use. They are:
• Bypass filters, which are used in conjunction with traditional oil filters to
remove smaller contaminant particles. These filters are currently in use in
private industry, at the North Carolina Department of Transportation
(NCDOT), and at some U.S. military locations. Studies have shown that
bypass filters substantially reduce the numbers of oil changes required
by increasing the intervals between oil changes from as much as 2 to
10 times. For example, in using these filters, NCDOT dump truck intervals
increased from 5,000 miles to 10,000 miles and Scott Paper Company
woodlands equipment intervals increased from 100 hours to 1,000 hours.
Page 3 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
• Synthetic lubricating oils, which can potentially increase the length of
time between oil changes, reduce engine wear, and enhance the engine’s
operation over a greater range of temperatures. The Army is currently
funding research in this area.
• Oil analysis programs, which determine when oil changes are due based
on the condition of oil samples drawn from vehicles regularly and tested in
labs. Oil changes are made only when they are recommended by the lab,
rather than performed on a regularly scheduled basis. Preliminary
analyses performed by the Army as part of the Army Oil Analysis Program
(AOAP) have indicated that the Army has saved about $81 million in oil
change costs during the past 3 fiscal years, excluding disposal costs or
AOAP lab operating costs. We have not validated the study’s findings or
its methodology.
To conduct our review, we obtained information on engine oil purchases,
Scope and disposal, and use from three agencies that account for 79 percent of the
Methodology total non-tactical vehicles owned or leased by the U.S. government—the
U.S. Postal Service (35 percent); GSA (29 percent); and DOD (15 percent).
We held discussions or obtained data from GSA’s Federal Supply Service;
U.S. Postal Service headquarters; the White House Task Force on
Recycling; DOD’s Offices of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Logistics and Materiel Readiness and the Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense for Installations and Environment; DLA’s Defense Supply Center
Richmond and the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service; and
several other subordinate agencies and offices in each of the military
services. We did not validate any of the data provided by the selected
agencies or assess the merits of the options identified for reducing the
costs of engine lubricating oil use. We performed our work from
August through December 2002 in accordance with generally accepted
government auditing standards.
In providing oral comments on the briefing slides pertaining to their
Agency Comments agencies, GSA and Postal Service representatives stated that they agreed
with the information presented. Additional comments on the material
were incorporated as appropriate. DOD provided technical comments on a
draft of this report, which we have also incorporated as appropriate.
We are sending copies of this report to the Chairmen and Ranking
Minority Members of other Senate and House committees and
Page 4 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
subcommittees that have jurisdiction and oversight responsibilities for
DOD, GSA, and the Postal Service. We are also sending copies to the
Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of GSA, the Postmaster General,
and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Copies will also
be available at no charge on our Web site at www.gao.gov.
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me
at (202) 512-8365 or e-mail me at solisw@gao.gov. Key contributors to this
report were Ken Knouse, Cary Russell, Betsy Mead, and Andria Key.
William M. Solis
Director, Defense Capabilities
and Management
Page 5 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
on Environment and Public Works
Information on the Purchase,
Use, and Disposal of Engine
Lubricating Oil
Briefing to the Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works
November 21, 2002
Page 6 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Introduction
As you requested, we are providing information on the
purchase, use, and disposal of engine lubricating oil by the
federal government. You were concerned that, at this time of
heightened attention to military effectiveness, government
efficiency, energy security, and environmental protection, the
money, time, and resources that the federal government
spends servicing its vast vehicle and engine fleet are of critical
importance.
2
Page 7 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Objectives
• How much engine lubricating oil did the federal government purchase and
what was the cost of those purchases for each of the most recent 3 fiscal
years for which such information was available?
• How much in direct costs did the federal government pay for the disposal
and/or recycling of engine lubricating oil in each of the most recent 3 fiscal
years for which such information was available?
• How much in direct contracted costs or federal employee labor costs were
incurred by the federal government for the changing of motor oil in federal
civilian and military fleet engines in each of the most recent 3 fiscal years
for which such information was available?
• What were the costs and other logistical implications for the transport of
engine lubricating oil by the military in recent military operations, such as
the Persian Gulf War and peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans?
• What are the options for reducing the costs of the purchase, maintenance,
and disposal of engine lubricating oil, including the use of technologies that
would eliminate the need for frequent oil changes?
3
Page 8 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Scope and Methodology
• Focused on three agencies that account for 79 percent of the total
non-tactical vehicles owned or leased by the U.S. government:
• U.S. Postal Service (USPS) - 35 percent
• General Services Administration (GSA) - 29 percent
• Department of Defense (DOD) - 15 percent.
(DOD also maintains numerous tactical vehicles, which were also part
of our review.)
• Found no aggregate data on oil use available for the U.S.
government as a whole.
• Compiled data only on engine lubricating oil used in internal
combustion engines for ground vehicles and equipment. Did not
include lubricating oils for aircraft or ship engines.
4
Page 9 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Scope and Methodology
• Identified 5 different types of oil based on DOD specifications:
Description Specification
of Specification Number
Lubricating Oil, Internal Combustion Engine, Combat/Tactical Service MIL-PRF-2104
Lubricating Oil, Automotive Engine, API Service SH CID A-A-52039
Lubricating Oil, Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine CID A-A-52306
Lubricating Oil, Internal Combustion Engine (Preservation & Break-In) MIL-PRF-21260
Lubricating Oil, Internal Combustion Engine, Arctic MIL-PRF-46167
Source: DOD.
• Did not validate any data provided by the selected agencies.
• Performed review from August through December 2002 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards.
5
Page 10 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Scope and Methodology
Held discussions and/or obtained data from the following
organizations:
• GSA’s Federal Supply Service
• USPS Headquarters
• White House Task Force on Recycling
• DOD: Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, and the Office of
the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations
and Environment
• Defense Logistics Agency: Defense Supply Center
Richmond, and Defense Reutilization and Marketing
Service
6
Page 11 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Scope and Methodology
• U.S. Army: Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-4, U.S.
Army Materiel Command, and the U.S. Army
Environmental Center
• U.S. Air Force: Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for
Installations and Logistics, and Air Force Center for
Environmental Excellence
• U.S. Navy: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and
Naval Supply Systems Command
• U.S. Marine Corps: Installations and Logistics
Department
7
Page 12 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Worldwide Non-Tactical Vehicle
Inventory by Federal Agency (FY 2001)
Other 29%
Dept. of Treasury GSA
Dept. of Interior
173,289
+ Dept. of Justice
Dept. of Agriculture
= 129,975
22%
35% 15%
USPS DOD
206,305 86,545
Note: Numbers may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.
8
Source: GSA Fiscal Year 2001 Federal Fleet Report.
Page 13 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
DOD Non-Tactical Vehicle Usage by
DOD Military Agency (FY 2001)
15%
Army
14%
Navy
33%
Air Force Marine C orps
46% 4%
O ther D efense
Army Corps of
Agencies
Engineers
2%
1%
Note: Figure does not include vehicles leased from GSA. In fiscal year 2001, DOD leased 98,576 vehicles from GSA.
9
Source: GSA Fiscal Year 2001 Federal Fleet Report.
Page 14 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Engine Lubricating Oil Purchases for
Selected Agencies
• DOD has fewer non-tactical vehicles than GSA and
USPS. However, it also has a large number of
tactical vehicles operated by the military services.
• As a result, DOD has a $9.3 m il.
significantly higher amount
of oil purchases. $2.1 m il.
$1.5 m il.
U SPS DOD G SA
FY 2001 Engine Lubricating Oil Purchases by Agency
Source: Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Postal Service, and the General Services Administration. 10
Page 15 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Engine Lubricating Oil Purchases for
Selected Agencies (FY 1999-2001)
DOD/Mi litary1
Fiscal Ye ar US PS 2 GS A3 TOTAL
Army Air Force Navy Ma rine Corps Total
2001 $6.2 $1.5 $0.9 $0.7 $9.3 $2.1 $1. 5 $12. 9
$ Millions
2000 6.1 1.4 1.0 0.6 9.1 2.0 1. 5 12. 6
1999 5.3 1.7 0.7 0.5 8.2 2.2 1. 4 11. 8
Total $17.6 $4.6 $2.6 $1.8 $26.6 $6.3 $4. 4 $37. 3
2001 6.4 1.7 1.0 0.8 9.9 2.1 1. 4 13. 4
(Millions)
Quarts
2000 6.8 1.8 1.3 0.7 10.6 2.1 1. 3 14. 0
1999 6.0 2.1 1.0 0.6 9.7 2.3 1. 3 13. 3
Total 19.2 5.6 3.3 2.1 30.2 6.5 4. 0 40. 7
1DOD/military data reflects purchases made by the military services from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
These purchases do not include oil bought from commercial vendors by the services on the local economy.
DOD officials could not estimate the magnitude of the purchases not included in the data.
2PostalService data may not include some oil purchases, such as oil bought using petty cash and oil changes performed by commercial
vendors. However, Postal Service officials believe the amount of purchases not captured in this data is minimal (1 percent or less).
3GSA data is based on estimates of the number of oil changes performed. GSA does not actually perform oil changes itself. Rather, they
are performed by commercial vendors or other federal maintenance facilities. As such, the cost of the oil used in these changes cannot be
identified separately from other maintenance costs. The GSA data above excludes oil changes performed on GSA vehicles by other federal
agencies’ maintenance facilities.
Source: Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Postal Service, and the General Services Administration. 11
Page 16 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
DOD Oil Purchases by Military Service
(FY 2001)
$9.3
million
Army
66%
Air Force
16%
Navy
Marine Corps 10%
8%
SOURCE: Defense Logistics Agency. 12
Page 17 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Military Service Purchases
by Oil Type (FY 2001)
9,000 ,000
8,000 ,000
7,000 ,000
6,000 ,000
5,000 ,000
4,000 ,000
3,000 ,000
2,000 ,000
1,000 ,000
0
P urchas e C ost ($) Q uantity (Q u arts )
C O MB AT & T AC T IC AL SE R VIC E $7 ,542,256.65 8 ,179,637
C O MME R C IAL O IL S $1 ,030,133.59 1 ,343,092
O T HE R MIL IT AR Y AP PL IC AT IO NS $667 ,837 .90 322 ,580
Note: Commercial oils are used in administrative use commercial type vehicles, but are also used in some tactical wheeled vehicles.
Source: Defense Logistics Agency. 13
Page 18 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Disposal and Recycling Costs for
Engine Lubricating Oil
• Only limited data is available from certain agencies.
• Chief of Naval Operations and Commandant of the Marine
Corps report annually on disposal and recycling
costs/quantities for waste oil (for Navy and Marine Corps
installations).
• Army has disposal data for only a few selected installations
from its automated hazardous materials tracking system
(system only partially fielded as a pilot project).
• Air Force and USPS do not have any aggregate disposal
data available for engine lubricating oil. GSA also does not
have disposal data because it relies on commercial vendors
or other federal maintenance facilities to change and
dispose of oil.
14
Page 19 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Average Annual Waste Oil Disposal/Recycling
Amounts for the Navy and Marine Corps
17,633 Tons
20,000 14,741 Tons
15,000
Tons 10,000
2,892 Tons
5,000
0
Navy Marine Corps Total
Recycled 7,165 1,646 8,811
Disposed 7,576 1,246 8,822
Note: Waste oil includes engine lubricating oil as well as other waste, such as transmission and hydraulic fluids.
15
Source: GAO analysis of Navy data for fiscal years 1999-2001.
Page 20 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Average Annual Waste Oil Disposal/Recycling
Net Costs for the Navy and Marine Corps
$1,000,000
$800,000
$600,000
Disposal Costs
$400,000
Recycle Revenue
$200,000
Net Cost
$0
-$200,000
Navy Marine Total
-$400,000 Corps
Source: GAO analysis of Navy data for fiscal years 1999-2001. 16
Page 21 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Labor and Contract Costs for Changing
Engine Lubricating Oil
• Records were not readily available on actual labor hours and costs
incurred for oil changes at the selected agencies.
• Potential exists for estimating labor hours and other costs for oil
changes for selected vehicles. For example,
• A draft Army Oil Analysis Program (AOAP) study includes
estimated data on labor and other costs for oil changes on
selected tactical vehicles. Could potentially duplicate part of
study methodology to examine additional Army vehicles.
• GSA and USPS can estimate numbers of oil changes for
their vehicle fleets based on maintenance schedules. Costs
for an oil change can also be estimated using assumptions
about costs, such as the amount and cost of labor per
change and the fact that oil changes were actually
performed as scheduled.
17
Page 22 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Oil Change Costs for Selected Army
Ground Vehicles from Draft AOAP Study
HMMWV
Percent of Total AOAP Ground Equipment Oil
Samples Represented by Selected Army Vehicles
(FY1999-2001)
M1A1/A2
Series
Abrams
Tank
M2/M3 Bradley
80% Selected Fighting
20% Vehicle
Equipment
Multiple Launch
Rocket System
(MLRS)
Family of
Medium Tactical
Vehicles (FMTV)
Source: GAO analysis of data from Army-sponsored study, United States Department of Army, Army Oil Analysis Program
Economic Benefits Analysis, University of Alabama in Huntsville. 18
Page 23 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Oil Change Costs for Selected Army
Ground Vehicles from Draft AOAP Study
Costs of an Oil Change for Selected Army Ground Equipment
(Note 1)
Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles $203
Multiple Launch Rocket System $144
M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle $144
M1 Series Abrams Tank (Note 2) $475
Labor Cost per Oil Change
HMMWV (Note 3) $47
Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles $67
$0 $50 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35 $40 $45 $50
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Multiple Launch Rocket System $28
Oil Filter Oil Labor
NOTES: M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle $28
1. An oil change for the purposes of the Army study included oil for both the engine
crankcase and the transmission. However, some of the vehicles also use engine
lubricating oil in other vehicle components such as the steering system and the hydraulic M1 Series Abrams Tank $43
system. Oil in these other systems is not included in this data.
2. Total oil costs for the M1 of $254.70 includes $91.50 for aircraft turbine engine oil, HMMWV $26
which was not one of the oils in the scope of our review.
3. Total oil costs for the HMMWV of $14.52 includes $6.36 for automatic transmission $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $70 $80
fluid, which was not one of the lubricating oils in the scope of our review.
Source: GAO analysis of data from Army-sponsored study, United States Department of Army, Army Oil Analysis Program
Economic Benefits Analysis, University of Alabama in Huntsville. 19
Page 24 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Oil Change Costs for Selected Army
Ground Vehicles from Draft AOAP Study
E s t im a t e d Av e r a g e A n n u a l L a b o r C o s t s f o r O il
C h a n g e s o n S e le c t e d E q u ip m e n t ( F Y 1 9 9 9 - 2 0 0 1 )
TO TA L $239
F a m ily o f M e d iu m T a c tic a l V e h ic le s $96
M u ltip le L a u n c h R o c k e t S y s te m $6
M 2 /M 3 B r a d le y F ig h tin g V e h ic le $39
M 1 S e r ie s A b r a m s T a n k $33
HMMW V $65
$0 $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300
($ ) T h o u sa n d s
Es tim a te d L a b o r H o u r s Ex p e n d e d f o r O il C h a n g e s o n S e le c te d Eq u ip m e n t
( FY 1 9 9 9 - 2 0 0 1 )
TO TA L 13.8
F a m ily o f M e d iu m Ta c tic a l V e h ic le s 5.6
M u ltip le L a u n c h R o c ke t S y s te m 0.3
M 2 /M 3 B r a d le y F ig h tin g V e h ic le 2.3
M 1 S e r ie s A b r a m s Ta n k 1.9
HMMW V
3.8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
L a b o r H o u r s in Th o u s a n d s
Source: GAO analysis of data from U.S. Army sponsored study, United States Department of Army, Army Oil Analysis Program
Economic Benefits Analysis, University of Alabama in Huntsville. 20
Page 25 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Transportation of Oil for Military
Operations
• Transportation costs for engine lubricating oil during military operations are
scenario-dependant and difficult (if not impossible) to determine.
• Military services store and transport oil to sustain them for the short term
during operations (usually for the first 30 days).
• Oil is transported with other supplies and equipment, or prepositioned
overseas on ships or on land.
• Costs attributed to transporting the oil are difficult to determine.
• Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) provides for follow-on supplies to the
theater, and these are requisitioned by the services as needed.
• DLA may transport oil to theater from U.S. or purchase it locally at overseas
locations where needed (dependant on specific operations).
• For Desert Storm, some engine lubricating oil was provided by Saudi Arabia
at no cost to the U.S. government, while some oil was purchased
commercially by DLA from the United Kingdom.
• Costs for transporting oil are difficult to determine because contract prices
from suppliers often include transportation.
21
Page 26 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Options for Reducing Oil Cost and Use
• Our limited literature searches and discussions with agency officials have
identified some methods for reducing costs of engine lubricating oil use
• Bypass filters
• Used in conjunction with traditional oil filters to remove smaller
contaminant particles.
• Currently in use in private industry, North Carolina Department
of Transportation (NCDOT), and some U.S. military locations.
• Studies show bypass filters significantly reduce the number of
oil changes required. Increases in intervals between oil
changes of 2 to 10 times have been realized.
• NCDOT dump truck intervals increased from 5,000 miles to 10,000 miles.
• Scott Paper Company woodlands equipment from 100 hours to 1,000 hours.
• Synthetic lubricating oils
• Potentially decrease number of oil changes needed.
Reductions of up to two to five times versus conventional motor
oil are possible.
• Research is being funded by the Army.
22
Page 27 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Options for Reducing Oil Cost and Use
• Oil analysis programs
• Oil analysis determines when oil changes are due based
on oil condition
• Oil samples are drawn from vehicles regularly and tested in labs.
• Oil changes are made only when recommended by lab (as opposed
to performing regularly scheduled oil changes).
• Oil analysis used in industry and government to extend
oil change intervals.
• Trucking companies
• U.S. military
23
Page 28 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Options for Reducing Oil Cost and Use
• A recent draft study estimates the AOAP has saved the
Army over $80 million in oil change costs during the past 3
fiscal years (not including disposal costs or AOAP lab
operating costs).
• Army uses AOAP to identify when oil changes are needed for
certain vehicles and equipment.
• Most combat and tactical equipment is covered by AOAP (aviation
and ground equipment).
• Study compared estimated costs for oil changes on vehicles
enrolled in AOAP against estimated costs if AOAP were not used
(i.e., oil changes based on scheduled intervals).
• Cost estimates were based on projection of oil change
costs/frequencies for 10 aviation and ground systems.
• Draft study findings and methodology were not validated by GAO.
• We did not assess the merits of the options identified for
reducing the costs of engine lubricating oil use.
24
Page 29 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
Appendix I: Briefing to the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works
Cost Savings Estimates from Army Oil
Analysis Program (AOAP) Draft Study
Dollars in millions
Fiscal Total
Year
2001 FY99-01
Estimated Oil
Change Costs
Using AOAP
$21.6 $70.3
Estimated Oil
Change Costs
Without AOAP $47.4 $151.6
Estimated
Savings $25.8 $81.3
Source: GAO analysis of data from Army-sponsored study, United States Department of Army, Army Oil Analysis Program
Economic Benefits Analysis, University of Alabama in Huntsville. 25
(350244)
Page 30 GAO-03-340 Engine Lubricating Oil
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Environmental Protection: Information on the Purchase, Use, and Disposal of Engine Lubricating Oil
Published by the Government Accountability Office on 2003-01-02.
Below is a raw (and likely hideous) rendition of the original report. (PDF)