Shell Equivalents — Industrial Lubricant Cross-Reference
If you run Shell Omala, Tellus, Gadus or Tonna and want to know what else carries the same published classification, this page is written for you. We are not an authorised Shell distributor. Shell and the product names on this page are trademarks of Shell plc and its affiliates, used here only to identify products a buyer may be searching for. We are authorised distributors for Veedol, GS Caltex, Balmer Lawrie, SELCO, Ador Welding, HD Fire and Citel. Where a customer requires the genuine Shell product we will say so plainly and point them at Shell’s own distributor network. What follows is the useful part: what Shell publish today, which of those figures a like-for-like replacement has to match, and the grades we hold that carry them.
How to Cross-Refer a Shell Product Properly
Match the Classification, Not the Viscosity
Two ISO VG 320 gear oils can be completely different products. What makes them interchangeable is the classification — DIN 51517 Part 3 (CLP), ISO 12925-1 CKC or CKD, AGMA 9005 and the load-carrying evidence behind them. Viscosity sets the film thickness; the classification tells you whether the additive package will survive. A cross-reference matched only on ISO VG is not a cross-reference.
Shell’s Current Sheets Differ From the Old Ones
This matters more than it sounds. Shell’s current Tellus brochure publishes “Parker Denison” and “Danfoss Vickers” with no grade letters at all. The familiar Denison HF-0/HF-1/HF-2, Eaton Vickers M-2950-S and Cincinnati P-68/P-70/P-69 wording survives only on superseded Tellus S2 V and S3 M datasheets. If a supplier quotes you those against a current Tellus grade, they are reading a document Shell has replaced.
The AGMA Revision Is Not Cosmetic
Shell’s current material says ANSI/AGMA 9005-F16; the older Omala S4 GX and S4 WE datasheets say 9005-E02. Veedol Apreslube publishes E02. They are different revisions of the same document and a careful tender reader will notice. We quote whichever one the product actually publishes and flag the difference rather than merging them.
Approvals Are Per Grade, Not Per Product
Shell publish Omala S2 GX as a grade-by-grade matrix: ISO 12925-1 CKC on every grade, CKD only on 68 to 460, AIST (US Steel) 224 only on 68 to 460, and Flender approval on 100 to 680. The SEW approval applies only to the S2 GX Plus version. Quoting a product-level approval against a grade that does not carry it is the single commonest error in this business.
Stocked in Secunderabad
Same-day dispatch on stocked lines across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, pan-India through our group network. 20 L pails, 210 L barrels, 1000 L IBCs and 20 kL tankers.
GeM and PSU Documentation
GeM and Udyam registered. Batch certificates, test certificates, MSDS and authorisation letters with despatch, which is what decides whether a PSU consignment clears inspection on schedule.
Shell Line by Line — What Is Published, and What Matches
Omala — industrial gear oils
Shell publish Omala S2 GX in ISO VG 68, 100, 150, 220, 320, 460, 680 and 1000, against DIN 51517-3 (CLP) on all grades, ISO 12925-1 CKC on all and CKD on 68–460, ANSI/AGMA 9005-F16, and AIST (US Steel) Req. No. 224 on 68–460, with Flender approval on 100–680. The closest published match we hold is Veedol Apreslube (ISO VG 68 to 1000, DIN 51517 Part 3 CLP, ANSI/AGMA 9005-E02, AIST 224, David Brown S1.53.101, ISO 12925-1 CKC/CKD), with Balmerol Protomac SP where the tender names IS 8406 — an Indian Standard Shell do not publish on any product.
Omala S4 GX and S4 GXV — the synthetic grades
Shell publish S4 GX against Siemens MD for Flender gear units T7300, David Brown S1.53.106, ISO 12925-1 CKD, AGMA 9005-E02 and US Steel 224, all with the qualifier “except ISO 1000”. S4 GXV adds Siemens approval for Flender gearboxes across VG 68 to 1000. On our side the synthetic answer is Veedol Apreslube P Synth (PAO, ISO VG 150/220/320/460, DIN 51517 Part 3 CLP, AGMA 9005-E02, AIST 224, David Brown S1.53.101 E and Flender anti-micropitting) or Apreslube Gold Pro where micropitting is the failure mode. Note that Shell publish S1.53.106 and S1.53.105 G — not S1.53.101 — so the David Brown numbers are close but not identical, and we say so rather than gloss it.
Tellus — hydraulic oils
Tellus S2 MX (VG 32/46/68/100) publishes ISO 11158 (HM), DIN 51524-2 (HLP) and approval by Bosch Rexroth RDE 90245, Parker Denison and Danfoss Vickers. Tellus S2 VX is the high-VI equivalent to DIN 51524-3 (HVLP). Against an HLP requirement we hold Balmerol Protomac HLP (DIN 51524 Part 2, Denison HF-0 and HF-2, Cincinnati Milacron P-68/P-69/P-70, IS 10522 and IS 11656), Veedol Avalon HLP (DIN 51524-2, Parker HF-0/HF-1/HF-2, Bosch Rexroth RD 90220, Fives Cincinnati P-68/P-70/P-69, IS 11656 and IS 10522) and Kixx HYDRO HD (DIN 51524 Part 2, Denison HF-0, Cincinnati Milacron P-68/P-69/P-70, US Steel 126 and 127). Match on the DIN part number, because that is where HL, HLP and HVLP are actually distinguished.
Tellus Zinc Free — and what it is now called
If you are looking for Tellus S3 M or Tellus S4 VX, note that Shell now publish these as Tellus Zinc Free S3 MX and Tellus Zinc Free S4 VX. Where you need a zinc-free hydraulic oil because of an effluent consent or a silver-bearing component, our answer is Kixx HYDRO AF, the ashless grade for systems where ZDDP is not permitted. Tell us why zinc-free is required — the reason changes which grade is right.
Gadus — greases
Shell publish Gadus S2 V220 as lithium thickener, NLGI 00/0/1/2/3, 220 cSt base oil at 40°C, −20 to 120°C; Gadus S2 V100 as lithium, NLGI 1/2/3, −25 to 130°C; and Gadus S3 V220C as lithium complex, NLGI 1/1.5/2/3, −25 to 140°C. We match on thickener type, NLGI grade, base oil viscosity and temperature range from Balmerol Liprex EP, Balmerol Protolith and the calcium sulfonate range, and from Kixx GREASE LIPLEX 2. One caution worth knowing: Shell publish no OEM approval list for Gadus — the datasheets refer you to the Shell technical helpdesk. So there is no approval list to match, and any supplier claiming to match one is inventing it.
Tonna — slideway oils
Shell publish Tonna S2 M in ISO VG 32, 68 and 220, and their own wording is “meets requirements” rather than “approved”, for Cincinnati Machine P-53 (VG 32), P-47 (VG 68) and P-50 (VG 220), plus ISO 19378, ISO 6743-13 GA and GB and DIN CGLP. Note it is Cincinnati Machine, not Fives Cincinnati and not Cincinnati Milacron — three different names for successive owners of the same specification. Our slideway range runs to the same P-numbers.
Corena, Turbo and Heat Transfer
Corena S2 P (VG 68/100/150, ISO 6743-3A DAA), S3 R and S4 R (VG 32/46/68, ISO 6743-3A DAH/DAJ) for compressors; the Turbo range for steam and gas turbines; and Shell Heat Transfer Oil S2 — note that Thermia is the legacy name — published at maximum film temperature 340°C and maximum bulk temperature 320°C, ISO 6743-12 Family Q, meeting DIN 51522. Our equivalents are the Kixx turbine and compressor oils, and Balmerol Prototherm (M) or the Veedol Therm range on heat transfer. On heat transfer especially, match the published bulk temperature — it is the number that decides whether the fluid survives the system.
Reading the Two Spec Sheets Side by Side
DIN 51517 Part 3 (CLP)
The classification for EP industrial gear oils. Shell publish it on Omala S2 GX, S4 GX, S3 GP, S4 Wheel and S5 Wind — but not on S4 WE, which is a polyglycol published only as ISO 12925-1 CKE. Polyglycol and mineral gear oils are not intermixable, so if you run S4 WE, a CLP mineral oil is not a drop-in and we will tell you that before quoting.
DIN 51524 Part 1, 2 and 3
Part 1 is HL, Part 2 is HLP where the anti-wear claim lives, Part 3 is HVLP for high viscosity index. Tellus S2 MX is Part 2; Tellus S2 VX is Part 3. This single number decides more substitutions than any other on the sheet.
AIST (US Steel) 224
Shell write it as “AIST (US Steel) Req. No. 224”, Veedol write “AIST (formerly U.S. Steel) 224”. Same requirement. It appears on Omala S2 GX grades 68 to 460 only, and on Apreslube. Not on Omala S4 WE, S3 GP or S1 W.
IS 8406 and IS 11656
Shell publish no Indian Standard number on any industrial product — we checked shell.in as well as shell.com. Balmerol Protomac SP publishes IS 8406 and Veedol Avalon HLP publishes IS 11656-1986. If your tender is written around an IS number, that is a point in favour of the Indian product and worth raising at the specification stage rather than at the bid.
Bosch Rexroth RDE 90245
The current Shell Tellus reference. Veedol publish RD 90220 on Avalon HLP and GS Caltex publish RE 90220 plus Mannesmann Rexroth RE 07 075. These are different Rexroth documents, not synonyms. If your system specification names one of them specifically, tell us which and we will quote to it.
Cincinnati — three names, one specification
You will see Cincinnati Milacron, Cincinnati Machine, Cincinnati Lamb and Fives Cincinnati across different datasheets. They are successive owners of the same P-number specifications. Match the P-number, not the company name.
Where We Deliver
The belts below describe where we deliver — they are the industrial clusters inside our service radius, not a customer list. The companies we have supplied are listed on our about page.
- Hyderabad and Secunderabad: Balanagar, Jeedimetla, Medchal, Patancheru, Bollaram, Cherlapally and Uppal — same-day dispatch on stocked lines.
- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh: Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Vijayawada on scheduled consolidated deliveries.
- Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune: Through our group network with consolidated billing.
- Pan-India: Three to seven working days on stocked lines. Sourced items carry the lead time quoted at order.
How We Handle a Shell Enquiry
Send the Designation, Get the Comparison in Writing
Send the Shell grade you run — from a drum label, an invoice or the lubrication chart — and we return a written specification comparison: what Shell publish today, what we would propose, and where the two lists differ. Where they differ we say so rather than rounding it off.
We Check Whether Your Datasheet Is Current
Shell have renamed and re-specified several lines. If your plant standard was written against Tellus S3 M or a Denison HF-0 claim, the underlying document has moved. We will tell you what the current sheet says even where that weakens our own case.
Equipment Plate Check Before Anything Else
The oil named on the gearbox plate and the approved-fluid list in the manual outrank any cross-reference table, including ours. Send a photograph of the plate and we will read it with you.
Changeover Plan for a Large Case
For anything above a few hundred litres we would rather plan a flush and a first-fill sample than a straight top-up. Mineral EP gear oils of the same class usually tolerate mixing; polyglycols such as Omala S4 WE emphatically do not.
Oil Analysis to Prove the Change
Baseline sample before, then at 500 and 2,000 hours. Viscosity, acid number, particle count, water and wear metals. It settles the argument with data rather than opinion.
We Will Say When Not to Switch
If Siemens have approved Omala S4 GX by name for your Flender unit and the warranty is live, staying put is the right answer and we will tell you so. A supplier who says that once is worth listening to on everything else.
Shell Cross-Reference Enquiries — Secunderabad
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a Shell distributor?
No. We are not an authorised Shell distributor. Shell and the product names on this page are trademarks of Shell plc and its affiliates, used here only to identify products a buyer may be searching for. We are authorised distributors for Veedol, GS Caltex, Balmer Lawrie, SELCO, Ador Welding, HD Fire and Citel. Where a customer requires the genuine Shell product we will say so plainly and point them at Shell’s own distributor network. If you need the genuine Shell product, Shell publish their own distributor network and that is the right route. This page exists because “what else carries the same classification” is a fair question that nobody local answers properly.
What is the equivalent of Shell Omala S2 GX 220?
On published classification, Veedol Apreslube 220 is the closest: both carry DIN 51517 Part 3 (CLP), ISO 12925-1 CKD, an ANSI/AGMA 9005 acceptance and AIST (US Steel) 224. The one difference worth stating is the AGMA revision — Shell publish 9005-F16 and Veedol publish 9005-E02. Balmerol Protomac SP 220 is the alternative and adds IS 8406, which Shell do not publish on any product. Which is right depends on your gearbox maker’s approved-fluid list, so send the plate photograph before we quote.
What is the equivalent of Shell Tellus S2 MX 46?
Match on DIN 51524 Part 2 (HLP) and ISO 11158 (HM), which is what Shell publish for S2 MX. On our side: Veedol Avalon HLP 46, which additionally publishes Parker HF-0/HF-1/HF-2, Bosch Rexroth RD 90220, Fives Cincinnati P-70 for the VG 46 grade, and IS 11656; Balmerol Protomac HLP 46, which publishes Denison HF-0 and HF-2 and Cincinnati Milacron P-68/P-69/P-70; and Kixx HYDRO HD 46. Tell us which OEM approval your system specification actually names and we will quote the one that carries it.
Shell’s datasheet used to say Denison HF-0. Now it does not. Why?
Because Shell revised the document. The current Tellus family brochure says “Approved by Bosch Rexroth (RDE 90245), Parker Denison, Danfoss Vickers” without grade letters — Parker acquired Denison and Danfoss acquired the Vickers hydraulics business, and Shell’s wording followed. The HF-0/HF-1/HF-2 form appears on the superseded Tellus S2 V and S3 M sheets. If your plant standard cites the old wording it is worth updating, whoever you buy from.
Can I mix a new oil with the Shell already in the system?
For mineral hydraulic and EP gear oils of the same classification, usually yes — but “usually” is doing real work in that sentence. Residual synthetic fluid, seal compatibility and paint inside older cases are where problems come from. Omala S4 WE is a polyglycol and must not be mixed with a mineral gear oil at all. For anything above a few hundred litres we recommend a drain, flush and first-fill sample, and we will tell you when a straight changeover is genuinely fine.
Does Shell publish an IS number I can match?
No. We looked across shell.com and shell.in and found no IS or BIS number on any of these industrial lines — Shell publish ISO, DIN, AGMA, AIST and OEM references only. So if your tender is written around IS 8406 or IS 11656, the Indian-manufactured products are the straightforward route and we would raise that at the specification stage.
What matches Shell Gadus S2 V220 2?
Match on the four things Shell actually publish: lithium thickener, NLGI 2, 220 cSt base oil at 40°C and a −20 to 120°C operating range. Balmerol Liprex EP 2 and Kixx GREASE LIPLEX 2 are the usual answers. What we will not do is match an OEM approval, because Shell publish none for Gadus — their datasheets refer you to the technical helpdesk. Anyone claiming a Gadus approval match is inventing it.
Do you publish Shell prices?
No. Manufacturer price lists circulated to distributor networks are confidential documents and republishing one would be wrong whoever it belonged to. Ask us to quote an alternative against your Shell grade and we will give you our price directly, with the specification comparison alongside it.
Send us the Shell grade you run
From a drum label, an invoice, or the lubrication chart. We will return a written specification comparison — what Shell publish today, what we would propose, and where the two lists differ. No charge, and if the honest answer is that you should stay with Shell, that is what the comparison will say.