Pinnacle Oil said recently that it has reached an agreement to contract-blend automotive and industrial lubricants for Marathon Oil Corp. Pinnacle had the contract previously but lost it for several years to Ashland Inc.s Valvoline.
According to the agreement, Pinnacle will supply lubricants marketed under the Marathon, Speedway, SuperAmerica and Pilot brands. Marathon supplies a full line of automotive and industrial lubricants to dealers and jobbers that carry Marathon fuels. Speedway and SuperAmerica oils are offered at convenience stores operating under the same names. Marathon owns Speedway SuperAmerica LLC, which has a chain of 1,600 convenience stores.
Lubes bearing the Pilot brand are sold at Pilot Travel Center truck stops, a chain owned by Pilot Travel Centers LLC, a 50-50 joint venture between Marathon and Pilot Corp.
Pinnacle and Marathon declined to disclose terms of their agreement or the volumes it entails. Pinnacle President Kimball L. Morris did confirm that the contract represents a significant amount of business for the Indianapolis-based company. He added that Pinnacle previously blended for Marathon but lost the contract to Ashland several years ago.
Ashland was formerly a minority shareholder in Marathon Ashland Petroleum, a joint venture that operated a Cattlettsburg, Ky., refinery and base oil plant. Ashland sold its 38-percent stake to Marathon last year.