Boris Kamchev

BORIS@LUBESNGREASES.COM

Staff Writer - Boris is a staff writer focused on Eastern Europe, Russia and the ex-Soviet lubricant industry. Prior to joining Lubes’n’Greases in 2010, Boris was a Russia-based reporter for several Macedonian news outlets. He had a 16-month stint as a business reporter for The St. Petersburg Times and contributed analyses to an English-language outlet of RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency. Boris often travels to St. Petersburg, Washington, D.C. and Skopje. Recently, he has also begun a part-time engagement as a foreign correspondent for North Macedonia’s state news agency, MIA.

Recent Articles

Lukoil Builds Grease and Additives Plant

Lukoil Builds Grease and Additives Plant

Lukoil broke ground recently on a grease, metalworking fluids and lubricant additives production facility in Volgograd.

Modrica Loss Worsened in 2023

Modrica Loss Worsened in 2023

Rafinerija Ulja Modrica, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leading base oils and lubricants manufacturer, reported a loss of 2 …

Investment Firm Ups Stake in Prista

Investment Firm Ups Stake in Prista

Bulgarian investment company Alpha Bulgaria Fund recently announced its intention to purchase up to 200,000 shares in Pr …

Georgia Lube Imports Rose in 2023

Georgia Lube Imports Rose in 2023

Lubricant imports stagnated in Georgia in 2023, according to data published by the Union of Oil Products Importers, a tr …

Drone Attacks Target Rosneft Refinery

Drone Attacks Target Rosneft Refinery

Rosneft’s refinery in Novokuybyshevsk, Russia, was targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes twice last week, the latest in …

Russian Base Oil Exports Keep Falling

Russian Base Oil Exports Keep Falling

Russian base oil exports by sea dropped by 10% in 2023 to 260,000 metric tons, as the European Union imposed an embargo …

Russian Blender Makes Metal Containers

Russian Blender Makes Metal Containers

Russian lubricant blender United Petrochemicals opened a line that produces metal motor oil containers designed to comba …

India, China Biggest Base Oil Importers

India, China Biggest Base Oil Importers

Two big powerhouses, India and China, are the largest net base oil importers in the world, and an Argus Media analyst pr …

Base Oil Demand Described as Peaking

Base Oil Demand Described as Peaking

New emission standards and engine oil specifications are boosting demand for premium lubricant grades, while electric ve …

U.S. Base Oils Dominate Latin America

U.S. Base Oils Dominate Latin America

Structural shortages of base oil production in Latin America are attracting imports from other regions, and the market i …

U.S. Sanctions Russian Lube Companies

U.S. Sanctions Russian Lube Companies

The United States last week announced a sweeping new round of sanctions against Russia, covering a large number of compa …

Chevron: Industry Faces Uncertain Times

Chevron: Industry Faces Uncertain Times

The global lubricants industry is facing new challenges from geopolitical and economic events, such as wars in Ukraine a …

Uzbek Company Buys Italian Blender

Uzbek Company Buys Italian Blender

Uzbekistan oil and gas company Saneg acquired CGC Lubricants Italy S.p.A., an Italian lube maker, to expand its footprin …

Interlube Bought by Biochemical Company

Interlube Bought by Biochemical Company

Earth Alive Clean Technologies, a Canadian engineering company in the biochemical sector, acquired Interlube Inc. a Queb …

Lack of Upkeep Hampers Turkmenbashi

Lack of Upkeep Hampers Turkmenbashi

Turkmenistan’s only base oil plant has been running at less than half of its 150,000 metric tons per year capacity due …

Aminol Production Dipped in 2023

Aminol Production Dipped in 2023

Aminol, one of the largest lubricant marketers in Azerbaijan, produced 46,000 metric tons of finished products in 2023, …

Lukoil Refinery Struck in Drone Attack

Lukoil Refinery Struck in Drone Attack

Lukoil’s refinery in Volgograd, Russia, site of a major lubricant manufacturing complex, was struck last weekend by a …

Hongrun White Oil Project includes Group III Plant

Hongrun White Oil Project includes Group III Plant

Hongrun Petrochemical Technology Co. has commissioned a white oil project that includes an API Group III plant at its oi …