Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to prepare metallocene polyalphaolefin 8 (mPAO8) by the oligomerization of olefin from coal with metallocene catalyst system and compare it with commercially available polyalphaolefin 8 (PAO8) from Chevron. Design/methodology/approach -Molecular structures, component and mass were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas chromatography and gel permeation chromatography, respectively. The physico-chemical properties, including Noack volatility, viscosity index and elemental analyses, were studied. The oxidative stability was evaluated by pressurized differential scanning calorimetry, whereas the thermal stability was studied by thermo-gravimetric analysis. Findings -The produced mPAO8 consisted of a large part of tetramer, pentamer and a small part of trimer and hexamer. Additive T501 significantly improved the oxidation stability of PAO8 from Chevron and the synthesized mPAO8. Both samples had similar properties, such as oxidative stability, additive response, pour point and Noack volatility loss. But mPAO8 possessed a higher thermal stability, better viscosity index and flash point than PAO8. Therefore, the mPAO8 prepared by the oligomerization of olefin from coal could be used as base oil for lubricant development. Originality/value -The mPAO8 base oil was successfully prepared by successive carbon numbers and shows similar properties with commercially available PAO8 products from Chevron. The findings can cover the shortage of the synthesis lubricants market in China.