A crackdown by regulators in China has forced the closing - at least temporarily - of a number of base oil plants. Most are small and low-tech, but observers say their collective volumes are significant and that the shutdowns have affected local prices.

Chinas popular online-to-offline sales model seems to hold great opportunities for lube suppliers, but insiders aired some concerns about the method at a recent industry conference held in Xian by consultancy Muchengyou.

As in the United States, large storms and heavy rains have caused flooding and other disruptions throughout much of Asia-Pacific. So far, however, it appears the regions lubricant markets have largely avoided being impacted except by the diversion of local base oil supplies to the U.S.

The Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority, the countrys national standards enforcer, recently seized a unit of Golden Lubricants for production of engine oil without a proper permit, an official said.

Japanese speciality lubricants producer Moresco Corp. said in a press statement last week that it will not purchase U.S.-based lubes manufacturer AML Industries Inc., as the two companies could not reach an agreement on purchasing conditions. Hydrodec reported that rerefined transformer oil sales volumes from its rerefinery in Bomen, Australia, reached 1.9 million liters for the first six months of 2017, up 45 percent from same period of last year, due to a growing customer base and a rising pro...