Volume 3 Issue 10
China's Copton Approved for IPO
March 8, 2016Chinese lubricant supplier Copton Technology Co. last week gained final approval to launch an initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, which will aim to raise 320 million (U.S. $49 million) for a new blending plant and other projects.
Asia Leads Way in Wax
March 8, 2016Asia accounted for 46 percent of the globes 10.5 billion pounds of wax supply in 2015 and is the top supplier of several wax types, including petroleum, synthetic and palm. Production in the region is rising, particularly in China.
MJL Licensed for Duty-free Marine Sales
March 8, 2016MJL Bangladesh announced that it obtained a license from the government to offer marine lubricants duty-free to ocean-going vessels. The Dhaka-based company is just the second in Bangladesh to receive such a privilege and hopes to use it to attract more ship traffic.
Kazakh Lube Producer Stumbles
March 8, 2016One of Kazakhstans two lubricant producers saw its output fall by 60 percent in 2015, according to the administration of the South Kazakhstan region, a decline blamed on troubles in its oil-dependent economy. Hill Corp. made just 8,900 metric tons of finished lubricants at its blending plant in Shymkent last year, down from 22,500 tons in 2014.
Briefly Noted
March 8, 2016Indian-Omani joint venture Sebacic Oman SAOC said it has begun building the worlds largest sebacic acid plant, a 30,000 ton per year facility in Omans Duqm free zone. Sebacic acid comes from castor oil and is used in the manufacture of lubricants and other materials. Hexa Research forecast that alpha olefin demand in Asia-Pacific will grow to 900,000 tons by 2020, driven largely by demand for polyalphaolefins to make synthetic lubricants.