How to structure this contract
- Name the exact benchmark. Argus Base Oils and ICIS Base Oils-Lubes are real but split into dozens of regional grades: name the specific one.
- Confirm subscription access. Both parties need to hold access to the named report before signing.
- Use the free fallback if needed. BLS PCU324191324191 is live and free, though it measures a different thing (domestic production cost, not spot price).
- Verify any report name you have not confirmed. Do not cite a product name that turns out not to exist.
Two real benchmarks, both paid
Base oils have two named, established price assessments: Argus Base Oils and ICIS Base Oils-Lubes. Both are real, both publish weekly, and both require a paid subscription. Neither publishes usable numeric data for free. A contract citing either needs to name the exact grade and region, and both sides need to confirm they actually have subscription access before the clause is signed, not after the first dispute.
Argus Base Oils
Argus publishes weekly spot and posted prices for Group I, II, and III base oils across regional markets: Europe (for example, Group II FCA ARA), the US Gulf Coast (Group I and II FOB, Group III domestic), and separate Group III (a) and (b) assessments that split on Volkswagen oil-quality approval status. Name the specific regional grade, not just "Argus Base Oils," since the service covers dozens of distinct assessments.
ICIS Base Oils-Lubes
ICIS covers base oils weekly across five regions: Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, the US, and China. Coverage varies by region: Europe reports SN150, SN500, and Brightstock; the US reports Group 1 through Group 3+ and naphthenic grades; China reports both domestic and imported material by group. As with Argus, name the specific region and grade.
There is no confirmed standalone "Argus Additives" index
"Argus Base Oils and Additives" gets mentioned informally, but a direct check found no standalone Argus product by that name. Argus Base Oils coverage extends to the base-oil side of lubricant blending, where additives are part of the market context, not a separately named Argus assessment. Confirm the exact product name directly with Argus before naming one in a contract. Citing a report name that does not exist creates the same problem as citing a fabricated government index code.
A free domestic fallback
The BLS publishes a Producer Price Index for Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing, series PCU324191324191, live and free to check. It is a US domestic manufacturing index, not a regional spot-price grade assessment like Argus or ICIS, so it measures something different: domestic production cost rather than a traded spot price. Use it when neither party has a subscription, or as a sanity check against a subscription-based number. For broader specialty chemical inputs, including additive-adjacent categories, PCU325998325998 (All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product Manufacturing) is a real, checkable, though broad, proxy.
Build the composite
| Component | Benchmark | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base oil, regional grade | Argus Base Oils or ICIS Base Oils-Lubes, named grade | Subscription required for live numeric data |
| Base oil, domestic fallback | PCU324191324191 | Free, live, US-only |
| Feedstock (crude/refinery input) | PCU324110324110 (Petroleum Refineries) | Upstream driver of base oil cost |
| Specialty additives | PCU325998325998 (broad proxy) or a named additive supplier's own price list | No dedicated additive index confirmed |
Don't cite a report name you haven't confirmed
Argus and ICIS both publish dozens of distinct regional and grade-specific assessments under similar-sounding names. Citing "Argus Base Oils" without the region and grade, or a product name that turns out not to exist, produces a clause neither side can actually execute. Confirm the exact report title and that both parties hold subscription access before signing.
Live index data
- US PPI: Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing: current value, year-over-year change, and a free calculator