Royal Dutch Shell on Feb. 11 outlined plans to accelerate its drive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, stating that it also plans to expand its marketing business – including lubricants – and its gas-to-liquids business, which includes GTL base oils and finished lubricants formulated with them.

Lubricant demand in Spain fell 12.7% in 2020 due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, based on data compiled by the Spanish Lubricants Association. In its January newsletter the organization reported that market made a significant rebound during the second half of the year after bottoming out during the second quarter.

A group of 20 employees at Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery – which has a lubricant blending plant – was accused last week of stealing motor oil throughout 2018, according to the region’s prosecutor office. Authorities so far have arrested three of the employees involved. Losses for the company amounted to 15.5 million rubles, the prosecutor’s office alleged in a news release.