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

Ethanolamines Plant in Nanjing Back on in May

Ethanolamines Plant in Nanjing Back on in May

Operations at the joint BASF-Sinopec ethanolamines plant in Nanjing are expected to resume at the end of May.

Fuchs’ New Brazil Plant Signals Latin America Push

Fuchs’ New Brazil Plant Signals Latin America Push

Fuchs Petrolub SE, the German lubricants manufacturer, is investing more than 220 million Brazilian real (U.S.$39 milli …

Zuber Issa Buys into UK Oil Brand Duckhams

Zuber Issa Buys into UK Oil Brand Duckhams

A supermarket magnate acquired a strategic equity stake in Duckhams, the 125-year-old British lubricants brand.

Provisional Tariffs on Imported UAE Lubes Unfair

Provisional Tariffs on Imported UAE Lubes Unfair

Lubricant exporters in the United Arab Emirates and U.K. importers of their goods face tariffs on their products more t …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

From June 2, 2025, or when contracts permit, Dutch white oils and wax company Sonneborn will raise prices by& …

OQ Chemicals Rebrands as Oxea After Private Equity Takeover

OQ Chemicals Rebrands as Oxea After Private Equity Takeover

OQ Chemicals has changed its name back to Oxea, following its acquisition by two investment firms.

Phillips 66 Divesting Stake in European Business

Phillips 66 Divesting Stake in European Business

Phillips 66 announced it will relinquish a 65% stake in its fuel retail operations in Germany and Austria, part of a pus …

Intel Certifies Shell’s Immersion Cooling Fluid

Intel Certifies Shell’s Immersion Cooling Fluid

IT giant Intel Corp. certified Shell Lubricants’ immersion cooling fluids for use in data centers globally.

Podcast 31: Taking the PFAS out of Food-grade Lubes

Podcast 31: Taking the PFAS out of Food-grade Lubes

The term PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyls, constitutes a vast number of manmade substances found in countless product …

Force Majeure After Iberia Power Cut Hits Repsol

Force Majeure After Iberia Power Cut Hits Repsol

Spanish refiner Repsol SA declared force majeure on its domestic base oil operations last week following a massive power …

Petronas Lubes Launches Two New Products

Petronas Lubes Launches Two New Products

Petronas launched a line of insulating oils and a range of co-branded technical fluids.

Lubrizol Stays Layoffs, Still Faces Overcapacity

Lubrizol Stays Layoffs, Still Faces Overcapacity

Lubrizol put the brakes on a plan that would have cut around 100 jobs at its facilities in Rouen and Le Havre.

Lubrication Engineers Acquires RSC Bio Solutions 

Lubrication Engineers Acquires RSC Bio Solutions 

Lubrication Engineers Inc., a United States-based manufacturer of industrial lubricants, acquired RSC Bio Solutions, wh …

Safety-Kleen Turned a Corner, Says CEO

Safety-Kleen Turned a Corner, Says CEO

Consistent performance by Safety-Kleen helped parent company Clean Harbors edge past first quarter earnings expectations …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

Shell launched a portfolio of transformer insulating liquids called Shell Midel, made from a range of natural and synth …

Luberef Replaces Catalyst Amid Lower Q1 Revenue

Luberef Replaces Catalyst Amid Lower Q1 Revenue

Saudi-based base oil producer Luberef completed the replacement of its hydrocracker catalyst at its Yanbu site.

Mannol Brake Fluid Fails Second VLS Testing

Mannol Brake Fluid Fails Second VLS Testing

Mannol brake fluid fails second round of tests to ensure it meets life-saving performance claims.

Misfire Stalls Case Against USA Wholesale Lubricant

Misfire Stalls Case Against USA Wholesale Lubricant

EPA case against USA Wholesale Lubricant was stalled by a legal process snafu.