Lubricant Life

In Dammam Saudi Arabia, YOU ONE of Korea has executed a 600 bed Hospital project before Gulf war. But the time of finishing they went out of Kingdom due to war. The HVAC with Reciprocating chillers of 13 X 320 TR was completely installed, flushed and test run was laying over 15 years without use in open weather exposed yard. After the war the original firm demanded US $ 600 Million to recommission the entire hospital including the HVAC system mentioned above. But Govt did not agree and awarded the contract to a locall firm after another 5 years for several million $ more as the original firm has gone bankrupt. When i joined the new firm to recommission the HVAC system i recommended the replacement of compressor lubricants. I explained to that the oil has chemically disintegrated and under gone fractional distillation due to weather has deposited wax at the bottom and oil above. But a fresher who was HOD recommended not to replace the oil as it has not changed physically or chemically. My submittal of quotation from oil dealers for oil with expiry date and not expiry date forced the management to accept my view. I changed the lubricant and recommissioned the system. What would have happened if the lubricant was not replaced and run with the old oil?