Tongyi Petrochemical started trial production at a lubricant blending plant in Lagos, Nigeria, helping the Chinese company expand its manufacturing and distribution network in Africa. The facility has begun delivering trial products to customers in Ghana, according to Tongyi. The 60,000-square-meter plant cost about ¥150 million (U.S.$21 million) and includes lubricant and grease blending facilities, an automated drum-making line and base oil storage capacity of several thousand tonnes. Tongyi ...

Egypt’s Alexandria Mineral Oils Co. completed a production trial at the end of September for an API Group II base oil unit, as it expands its base oil portfolio and looks to strengthen its position in domestic and international markets, reported Egypt Oil and Gas. Egypt is one of North Africa’s larger lubricant markets, with automotive demand accounting for most consumption. Mordor Intelligence estimated total lubricant demand was 623 million liters in 2025, rising to 711 million liters by 2...

Malaysian energy giant Petronas is likely to restart its API Group III base oils unit at its Melaka refinery, an industry report said. A restart would put online a significant source of Group III back on the market after an extended disruption caused by hostilities in the Persian Gulf. The Melaka plant was commissioned in 2008 with nameplate capacity of about 6,500 barrels per day, which equates to roughly 247,000-300,000 metric tons per year. The plant produces Petronas’ Etro+ Group III base ...

The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association said the American Petroleum Institute’s latest extension to emergency provisional licensing shows the base oil supply crisis is far from resolved. API said the extension, its second since the program was introduced in March, gives engine oil manufacturers more time to manage shortages caused by disruptions to API Group III supplies in the Middle East. The program allows API-licensed manufacturers to temporarily substitute base oils or adjust ...

Lubrizol Expands Singapore Innovation Center Lubrizol is expanding its Southeast Asia Innovation Center in Singapore with new synthesis, analytical and physical-sciences laboratory facilities, the company announced in a press release on Monday. The Jurong center, which opened in 2025, will also expand local talent development through Learning Labs Singapore, a STEM education initiative. The 15,000-square-meter facility supports research and product development across mobility, infrastructure, mi...