Asia has become the worlds largest and fastest-growing lubricant market, but it still relies largely on specifications developed in and for other regions. A major additive supplier contends its time that Asia played a role in standards development, but the company said it will be difficult to make that happen.

India, the worlds third-largest lubricant market, will experience average annual growth of 2.5 percent over the next five years, Kline & Co. predicts in a recent study.

Cosmo Oil Co. said last week that it has reduced capacity of its base oil plant in Yokkaichi, Japan. The change is due to a reduction in capacity of the refinery to which the base oil plant belongs.

Lubricant marketer Fuchs Petrolub has entered a marketing partnership to supply lubricants and fluids for users of DMG Mori Seiki metalworking machines in China.

U.S. lubricant producer Champion Oil announced Friday that it has entered an agreement designating Tsengeg Orkhon Co. its distributor in Mongolia. Tsengeg Orkhon operates gold and silver mines and is also a distributor of commercial and industrial lubricants.