King Industries, Inc., a specialty chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Connecticut, U.S., has begun full operations at its newly constructed production facility in Waterbury, Connecticut. The company did not disclose specific output capacity figures for the Waterbury facility in its official announcement. However, information shared by a King Industries representative during a podcast recorded in May 2025 suggested that the plant could increase the company’s alkylated naphthalene producti...

Wood Mackenzie warns in a new report that the global lithium market could face a supply shortfall by the end of the decade, with implications extending beyond electric vehicle batteries to the lubricating grease sector. The consultancy expects current oversupply conditions to persist through 2027, weighing on prices and margins for higher-cost producers. However, tightening supply-demand balances are projected to emerge around 2028–2029 as EV demand accelerates. Estimates suggest that up to 8....

The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) has filed a lawsuit in Colorado state court challenging the implementation of the state’s packaging recycling law, raising concerns about fairness, transparency and the burden on small businesses. The legal action targets Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act, a law that shifts the cost of recycling packaging materials from local governments to companies that produce and sell those materials. The prog...

Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have shut down roughly a fifth of the world’s API Group III base oil capacity, threatening severe supply disruptions for lubricant manufacturers reliant on Middle East base stocks. Iran targeted the three countries — all hosts to U.S. military assets — in retaliation for a U.S.-Israeli-led bombing campaign against the regime in February. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has capacity of about 10,300 barrels per day of Group III, while...

Chevron Corp to Buy Brazilian Fuel Retailer Chevron Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire a 30% stake in Brazil’s fuel distributor Ipiranga, a move that would deepen its presence in Latin America’s largest downstream market. The potential deal, under discussion for about a year, builds on Chevron’s existing partnership with Ultrapar through their ICONIC lubricants joint venture. Ipiranga is one of Brazil’s leading fuel retail networks, offering Chevron immediate scale and market access w...

Valvoline Debuts Heavy-Duty Engine Oil With 100,000-Mile Drain Approval Valvoline Global Operations introduced Premium Blue One Solution Gen 2 heavy-duty engine oil, which the company says is designed to extend oil drain intervals for multiple engine types. The product has been approved by Cummins for oil drain intervals of up to 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) under certain operating conditions. The extended drain intervals apply to Cummins X15 diesel and natural gas engines. Valvoline said ...