Activity is more encouraging out of the U.S. Gulf, but both Asia and Europe are disappointingly quiet.-by Adrian Brown

Battery-powered vehicles have fewer grease applications than internal combustion engine vehicles, but EV components and changes in driving habits could still make opportunities for grease suppliers, an official with a German market research firm told an industry conference last week.

Nynas' naphthenic business segment, which primarily supplies base oils, reported 328 million Swedish krona (U.S. $35 million) in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization for full year 2018, down more than 59 percent from SEK 807 million for 2017. U.S. sanctions against one of its parent companies, Petroleos de Venezuela, took a heavy toll, according to the annual report that Nynas filed last week.

Advanced lubricants will have contributed up to 4.1 percent of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from transport in the European Union between 2005 and 2020, according to a new study commissioned by ATIEL, the technical association representing manufacturers and marketers in the European lubricants industry reported.

Russian lubes and greases marketer Obninskorgsintez is ramping up its grease production through robust marketing and expansion of its customer base, a company official told Lube Report.