Exorbitant prices for car parts and accessories are discouraging Russian motorists from visiting large stations for service, including oil changes, and are instead driving them to small local garages, carrying motor oils and other parts ordered online or bought at aftermarket stores, according to a market study.

BP reported that profits for its Castrol lubricants business dropped 23% in the second quarter, as adverse foreign exchange impacts and higher costs offset the positive impact of higher margins. Meanwhile, Nigerian lubricants blender and marketer Conoil reported steep drops in profits and sales for the second quarter.

The August issue outlines how to best care for metalworking fluids and explores how tribologists are navigating the unique challenges of electric vehicle lubrication. Plus, find out why the grease industry isn’t so keen on the term “food-grade lubricant” as well as why filterability is a critical performance characteristic of today’s hydraulic fluids.

BASF will expand its capacity to produce medium-molecular weight polyisobutenes at its Verbund petrochemical refinery in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in response to growing demand for lubricants and other applications, the chemical giant announced last week. The project will boost capacity at that site by 25% by the first half of 2025, BASF said.