Simon Johns

SIMON@LUBESNGREASES.COM

Managing Editor InSites - Simon Johns is the managing editor of Lubes'n'Greases’ InSites. He joined the company in September 2017, bringing a decade of publishing experience, most of which was spent heading an upstream-focused publication covering global oil and gas markets. Simon hails from the south of England but currently lives in Istanbul, where in his spare time he plays music and hosts a weekly radio program with his son.

Recent Articles

Oil-free Bearings May Threaten Grease Industry

Oil-free Bearings May Threaten Grease Industry

WEG and SpinDrive entered a partnership to introduce advanced electric motor systems that operate without oil. Announce …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Sinopec Expands Motorbike Oil Sales in Indonesia

Sinopec signed a cooperation agreement with PT Mei Tech in Jakarta, …

Base Oil Supply Woes Continue as War Drags On

Base Oil Supply Woes Continue as War Drags On

Asian base oil prices have surged to record highs, driven by geopolitical disruption, tightening supply chains and shif …

Strong Margins Bolster Luberef Results in 2025

Strong Margins Bolster Luberef Results in 2025

Saudi Aramco’s base oil subsidiary Luberef reported resilient financial results for 2025, supported by strong margins …

Motul Leads Poland’s 5W-40 Oil Ranking

Motul Leads Poland’s 5W-40 Oil Ranking

A Polish consumer ranking of 5W-40 engine oils published in March highlights premium synthetic products from Motul, Liq …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Expanded EV Coolant Range from Arteco

Coolant company Arteco has expanded its Freecor EV Milli range with two low-c …

Hormuz Still Choked After Iran Ceasefire

Hormuz Still Choked After Iran Ceasefire

Thousands of ships and their crews are stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to traverse the Strait of Hormuz into open …

Pearl GTL Train Out of Action Until 2027

Pearl GTL Train Out of Action Until 2027

Shell plc has confirmed that train two at the Pearl GTL facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar sustained damage following attack …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Shanghai Lubricant Trade Association Inks Co-op with Kroneseder Lubricants

On March 19, the Shanghai Lubricant Trade …

Afton Still Core Earner for NewMarket

Afton Still Core Earner for NewMarket

NewMarket, parent of lubricant additive company Afton Chemical Corp., faced profit pressure in 2025 as global demand fo …

GM Rebuffs ILMA Plea for Dexos Wiggle Room

GM Rebuffs ILMA Plea for Dexos Wiggle Room

GM, the largest automaker in the United States by sales, has rejected the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Associati …

Oxea Raises Prices as Feedstock and Energy Costs Surge

Oxea Raises Prices as Feedstock and Energy Costs Surge

Oxea has issued eight pricing notifications across five product segments within a four-week period, with cumulative inc …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Cummins Approves Valvoline Blue One Solution Gen 2

Blue One Solution Gen 2, the first heavy-duty engine oil approved …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Chevron Corp to Buy Brazilian Fuel Retailer

Chevron Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire a 30% stake in Brazil’s …

API Approves PC-12

API Approves PC-12

The American Petroleum Institute has approved its new Proposed Category 12 (PC-12) specification for heavy-duty engine …

Lanxess Raises DPA Prices Amid Supply Chain Pressure

Lanxess Raises DPA Prices Amid Supply Chain Pressure

German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess has announced a sharp increase in prices for diphenylamine (DPA) and alkyla …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Valvoline Debuts Heavy-Duty Engine Oil With 100,000-Mile Drain Approval

Valvoline Global Operations introduced Premi …

Rising Lithium Price Could Hasten End of Lithium Grease

Rising Lithium Price Could Hasten End of Lithium Grease

Wood Mackenzie warns in a new report that the global lithium market could face a supply shortfall by the end of the dec …