Operations have ceased at QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan LNG processing facility and the nearby Mesaieed power plant following an Iranian drone strike, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Defense. No casualties have been reported, and officials have yet to confirm what was damaged. The shutdown affects Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hubs. Qatar ranks among the top global LNG exporters, making the disruption significant for international energy mar...

Azerbaijan exported 30,252 metric tons of finished lubricating oils in 2025, according to calculations by local news agency Report.az based on official data from the State Statistics Committee. This marked a 41% decrease in volume compared with 2024. Among key export destinations, Iraq received 3,869 tons of Azerbaijani lubricants, down 28% year on year. Ukraine took 4,209 tons, a 62% decline compared with the previous year. Bulgaria imported 3,946 tons, down 55%, while Turkey received 2,285 ton...

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and Saudi Aramco signed a base oil supply agreement aimed at strengthening supply stability and commercial coordination. Saudi Aramco has global base oil production operations, including Motiva Enterprises’ 2.02 million metric tons per year of API Group II capacity; Luberef’s two plants in Saudi Arabia, with 1.5 million t/y of Group I and II capacity; and S-Oil Corporation’s unit in Onsan, South Korea, with capacity of 2.12 million t/y. This network gives Idemitsu ...

Malaysian waste management company and rerefiner Pentas Flora will supply rerefined API Group II+ and Group III base oils to Japan, formalizing its entry into one of the world’s most technically demanding lubricant markets. Japan’s advanced manufacturing base and rigorous performance standards present a high bar for rerefiners targeting premium applications. The move aligns with the country’s Green Transformation policy framework, which promotes decarbonization across supply chains, includ...

Repsol’s Bike Oils Hit the Track Repsol Lubricants introduced the Extreme range of motorcycle oils, developed using the same polyalphaolefin-based formulation supplied to Moto2 and Moto3 teams in the MotoGP World Championship. The launch coincides with Repsol’s role as exclusive lubricants supplier to both categories for the 2026 season. The oils are built on Repsol’s Racing PAO technology, developed at the Repsol TechLab and validated through extensive motorsport use as well as thousands...

Vertex Expands Group III Portfolio with VTX-R6 Vertex Energy Inc. has added VTX-R6, a 6 centiStoke API Group III rerefined base oil to its base oil lineup. The launch follows VTX-R4 and gives blenders a higher-viscosity option for formulating heavier finished lubricants. Based in Houston, Texas, Vertex Energy refines base oils and fuels and operates one of the largest used motor oil collection and processing networks in the United States, with capacity of more than 115 million gallons...