Petronas announced Wednesday that it has agreed with Pertamina to explore the possibility of the companies building a base oil plant at Pertamina’s fuels refinery in Cilacap, Indonesia. The companies aim to make a final investment decision on a project by 2025, but the news release that Petronas issued Wednesday did not discuss a timeline for construction nor specifics of what a plant might produce.

Fuchs Group opened a 20,000 metric tons per year lubricants blending plant in Vietnam to serve growing demand in the region and to speed its response to local market demands, the German independent lubricants blender announced yesterday.

The September issue explores the benefits of automated industrial coolant systems as well as the cost savings associated with switching to lower-viscosity heavy-duty engine oils. Plus, learn about how the recently updated JASO motorcycle oil specification differs from its predecessor and how a carefully developed business strategy can contribute to your company’s ultimate success.

The lubricants business of Hong Kong-based Yip’s Chemical Holdings Ltd. reported an operating profit for the first half of the year – rebounding from an operating loss – and a 12% increase in sales, citing factors such as growth in the overall automotive lubricants market and more stable prices for raw materials.