Original "OilRig" Performs Well in Major U.S. DOE Oil Filtration Study

SALT LAKE CITY--April 26, 2005--

After one million miles, U.S. Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory tests demonstrate that effective bypass oil filtration systems significantly extend engine oil life

Refined Global Solutions (RGS) announced today that bypass oil filtration systems such as the RGS Original OilRig are receiving third party validation from an ongoing study being conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity within DOE's FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program.

The RGS OilRig, one of two U.S. products chosen to participate in the DOE/INL study to examine the effectiveness and environmental impact of bypass oil filtration systems, is being tested on buses from the INL fleet. The study, which recently passed one million combined miles driven on INL vehicles, has thus far shown substantial reduction in the number of oil changes required by vehicles outfitted with bypass filtration systems.

"We are pleased that the DOE and INL have stepped up to demonstrate the significant positive impact of bypass oil filtration systems on oil consumption, reduced operating costs, and the environment," said RGS executive Ralph Thomson. "We are especially honored that the RGS OilRig has been chosen by the DOE to play a role in this important study."

Oil bypass filters are used in concert with standard internal combustion ("full flow") engine oil filters to extend engine oil life. Full flow filters remove particles down to the size of approximately 40 microns. In contrast, effective bypass systems not only filter out solid contaminants as small as one micron, they also remove harmful liquid and gaseous contaminants from engine oil through various processing technologies.

The DOE/INL study evaluates the fitness of engine oil for continued service by monitoring the presence of 30 variables, including: necessary oil additives, undesirable contaminants, engine- and component-wear metals, and oxidation and nitration levels, in addition to counting the number and size of particulates suspended in the oil.

An official DOE/INL advisory (attached with this release) reports that during the one million test miles, the oil bypass filters have been shown to eliminate 80 percent of the oil changes in the test vehicles. The advisory concludes that the use of bypass oil filtration systems would result in substantial savings related to engine oil use and disposal for on-road vehicles -- not only at the Idaho National Laboratory, but also for the overall DOE complex and the entire federal fleet. According to the official DOE/INL advisory, "In addition to supporting DOE's goal of ensuring energy security for the United States, this demonstration provides the environmental benefit of reducing the generation of waste oil products."

The DOE/INL test bed also validates the value of oil bypass filtration systems for commercial and private vehicles throughout the world. "Operational field tests with multiple fleets using the RGS OilRig have confirmed the findings of the DOE/INL study," said RGS president Douglas Lloyd. In addition to greatly reducing oil purchase and disposal costs, trucks equipped with the OilRig avoid the costly downtime that comes with frequent oil changes, and enjoy superior engine performance and fuel economy.

Thomson concluded, "In an era of rapidly rising energy costs, dependency on uncertain oil supplies, and increasing environmental sensitivities, the benefits of effective oil filtration systems like the RGS Oilrig can be profound."

About Refined Global Solutions

Refined Global Solutions (RGS) develops, produces and distributes innovative products for long-haul transport, mining, marine, agriculture and construction applications. The RGS family of products delivers tangible results that benefit the bottom line, energy conservation and the environment. The Original OilRig significantly extends the useful life of engine oil, minimizing the number of required oil changes and reducing the costs of truck operation. RGS products are supported by the RGS FleetWatch oil maintenance program, which combines effective ten-minute oil analysis with a Web-based maintenance and tracking tool. For more information about RGS products and services, visit www.rgsoilrig.com.