Volume 1 Issue 15

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report

The markets in the United States and Europe have not shaken off the lethargy of the Easter holidays, while markets in Asia have been reporting lower levels of demand for several weeks already. -by Adrian Brown

Sequence IVB Test Suffers Setback

The last engine test for ILSAC GF-6 failed this month to gain acceptance into the passenger car engine oil classification, a critique that the proposed method does not adequately gauge the ability of oils to prevent engine wear.

Calumet Acquires Biosynthetic Technologies

Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. said on Monday that it acquired Biosynthetic Technologies, a startup that converts sustainable plant oils into synthetic base stocks using proprietary technology.

Petrobras Expansion Moving Forward

Petrobras blending plant in Duque de Caxias, Brazil, will be one of the worlds five largest when an expansion there is completed in 2020, the company said last week. Brazils largest lube supplier intends to use that capacity to boost sales both at home and abroad.

WD-40 Earnings Up

WD-40 reported net income of $14.8 million for the quarter ending Feb. 28, up 19.4 percent from the year-earlier period, with net sales up 5 percent at $101.3 million.

From Other Editions of Lube Report

More U.S. Finished Lube Price Hikes

Shell, Phillips 66 and Safety-Kleen (Kleen Performance Products) each informed customers of upcoming general price increases on finished lubricants taking effect in early and mid-May, citing factors such as increasing costs for production and delivery of products. Shell will raise prices up to 10 percent effective May 7, Phillips 66 will increase its prices up to 10 percent effective May 14 and Safety-Kleen (Kleen Performance Products) will raise pricing by up to 10 percent on all its oil products effective May 7.

Briefly Noted

Ineos Oligomers awarded a lump sum engineering, procurement and construction contract to a joint venture of SNC-Lavalin and JV Driver to design and build a polyalphaolefin unit at the Ineos petrochemical complex in Chocolate Bayou, Texas. The PAO unit is expected to come online in October 2019 and have production capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania-based PetroChoice acquired the lubricant business assets of Bensalem, Pennsylvania-based Prolube Inc., which distributes in Northern Philadelphia, specializing in the automotive market.