Volume 3 Issue 49

Tongyi Treads New Ground without Shell

Tongyi Lubricants CEO Li Jia had a fruitful journey to the United States recently. The trip saw Tongyi gain rights for domestic sales of an American brand - an endeavor that exemplifies some of the strategies the Chinese blender has employed in the year since it was divested from its former majority shareholder, Shell.

Total Begins Producing Grease in China

French oil giant Total Lubricants opened a grease production plant in Tianjin, China, Friday - its first in the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia Dominates White Oils Demand

Asia-Pacific demands more white oils than any other region, according to an industry consultancy, due to China being the world's largest consumer of the base oil-derived products and India remaining a key market.

Aussie Rerefinery Needs Upgrade

Cleanaway, one of two rerefiners of base oil in Australia, has received state government approval to upgrade its Hunter Valley plant in order to produce Group II base oil and keep the facility alive.

Briefly Noted

Viva Energy opened an AU $18 million (U.S. $13.5 million) lubricant terminal in Pinkenba, Australia, last week. According to transportation news website ATN, Viva said the facility can store 3.2 million liters of lubes, making it the largest such facility in the country. Shell Marinebegan stocking lubricants at additional ports worldwide, including 51 new locations in China, such as Baoshan port in Shanghai, Dongguan, Fuzhou, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Zhanjiang and Zhangzhou; several depots in the Philippines; and 16 hubs throughout all six Australian states.