Lubrizol will vigorously defend itself against charges of lax safety standards and pollution filed by French prosecutors last week, a company spokesperson told Lube Report Monday afternoon.

Lubricants and Petroleum Corp. recently opened a grease plant at its blending facility in Aspropyrgos, Greece, part of an effort to cement its position as one of the largest lube suppliers in Southeastern Europe.

Greek petroleum refiner Motor Oil Hellas announced a €30 million investment to establish a joint venture blending plant in Algeria that will have capacity to produce 55,000 metric tons per year of lubricating oils and 5,000 t/y of greases.