Azmol and Agrinol, the largest lubricant producers in Ukraine, were taken over by forces aligned with Russia’s occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine and are being used for Moscow’s war on Ukraine, a media organization reported recently.

Saudi Arabian lubricants blender Petromin plans to raise up to $1 billion via an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 13. According to the report, attributed to people familiar with the IPO, the company so far engaged Saudi National bank and Moelis & Co. and may add more banks to the syndicate.

The January issue explores trends in base stocks and finished lubricants. Discover how two new lubricant manufacturing processes can decrease energy usage as well as what the future may hold for bright stock demand. Plus, find out what NLGI and ELGI’s grease working groups have been up to recently and how their work may affect the industry.

Lubricant consumption in France fell 9% to 41,317 tons in November, compared to the same month last year, Paris-based Professional Lubricants Center reported in data released on Monday. Automotive lubricants consumption declined 8%, industrial lubricants demand dropped 16% and process oil consumption rose 9%.