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, Shell, Mobil Top Russian Survey

Lukoil, Shell, Mobil Top Russian Survey

Shell and Mobil remain two of the three most popular motor oil brands in Russia, despite Shell and ExxonMobil exiting th …

Rising Costs, Potential Regs Loom Over Lithium

Rising Costs, Potential Regs Loom Over Lithium

Lithium greases are under pressure from a run-up in lithium prices and from calls for the European Union to classify the …

Sintec Expands Grease Plant

Sintec Expands Grease Plant

Russian lubricant producer Sintec Group recently doubled the size of its grease plant, increasing production capacity to …

Slow Decline Forecast for European Market

Slow Decline Forecast for European Market

Europe’s finished lubricant demand is expected to stagnate during the next few years, affected by the continent’s co …

China Base Oil Imports Decline

China Base Oil Imports Decline

China has been a net base oil importer in the past few years, but supplies coming from abroad are decreasing as its dome …

Russian Base Oil Exports Continue to Fall

Russian Base Oil Exports Continue to Fall

After being hammered by Western sanctions in 2022, Russian base oil exports have continued to fall this year as sanction …

Russian Lube Imports Forecasted to Fall

Russian Lube Imports Forecasted to Fall

Russian lubricant demand is expected to further stagnate in 2023 at about 1.7 million tons, as automotive lube imports s …

A French Brand Name from a Russian Blend Plant

A French Brand Name from a Russian Blend Plant

Top Lubricants unveiled recently a new Russian brand that sounds very French – Lemarc, which is produced at the former …

EU Reportedly Mulls Softer PFAS Restrictions

EU Reportedly Mulls Softer PFAS Restrictions

The European Union, according to news reports, is mulling whether to proceed with a proposed complete ban of new per- an …

Toyota Solves Solid-state Battery Problem

Toyota Solves Solid-state Battery Problem

Japanese car giant Toyota claims it has solved the technological problem in solid-state battery design that could doubl …

Latvia Tightens Waste Oil Collection Regs

Latvia Tightens Waste Oil Collection Regs

Latvia’s national agency for waste management recently unveiled a campaign to improve handling of waste oil and to str …

Azmol-BP Shifts to Georgia, Uzbekistan

Azmol-BP Shifts to Georgia, Uzbekistan

Lubricant maker Azmol-British Petrochemicals has transferred its production activities to Georgia and Uzbekistan after l …

Lighter Engine Oils Lose Ground in Russia

Lighter Engine Oils Lose Ground in Russia

Low-viscosity motor oils are losing ground in Russia at a time when many Western motor oil and car brands have exited th …

Russian EV Sales Grew 244% in H1 2023

Russian EV Sales Grew 244% in H1 2023

Russia’s auto fleet is electrifying at high rates, but in absolute numbers is lagging far behind the world’s largest …

Lukoil Plans Additives, Lubricants Plants

Lukoil Plans Additives, Lubricants Plants

Lukoil’s lubricant arm intends to build two production facilities at its refining complex in Volgograd, Russia – one …

Russia Leans on Asian Additives

Russia Leans on Asian Additives

The major additive companies pulled out of Russia last year. Which countries are now helping Russia to meet demand for a …

Suprotec Plans Grease, Metalworking Fluid Plant

Suprotec Plans Grease, Metalworking Fluid Plant

Russian automotive chemicals producer Suprotec announced plans for a grease and metalworking fluids manufacturing ventur …

Modrica Refinery Posts Further Losses

Modrica Refinery Posts Further Losses

Bosnian base oil and lubricant producer Rafinarija Ulja Modrica ended the first half of this year with a net loss of 1.1 …