Effective Sept. 1, Oxea will increase prices on NPG in North America by $70 per metric ton and 3 cents per pound. The chemical is used in synthetic lubricants. Houston-based bio-fluids company Accelergy Corp. and soy products producer Owensboro Grain LLC formed a joint venture that will make biobased esters, waxes, specialty solvents, lubricants and performance fluids. Amyris, Inc. received a multi-million dollar contract from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop cellulose-derived farnesene for biofuels and petroleum products such as base stocks.