The United States produced 5.5 million barrels of base oil in August, according to the latest data from the federal Energy Information Agency, 19% better than the same month of 2020 but less than levels preceding the COVID-19 crisis. August output was dinged by Hurricane Ida, which disrupted operations in the heart of the U.S. oil industry a few days before the end of the month.

HollyFrontier Corp.’s lubricants and specialty products segment reported large increases in income and revenue from operations, and Clean Harbors’ Safety-Kleen segment posted higher revenues and larger waste oil collection volumes for the third quarter.

September base oil production in Brazil was 22% higher than the same month of last year and was up even more from pre-COVID-19 levels. Despite the increased production, base oil import volume was also much higher for September, compared to the same month in each of the last two years. The South American country’s base oil production – primarily API Group I – reached 60,000 tons in September, up from 49,000 tons in the same month of 2020 and higher than 39,000 tons in September 2019.