The American Petroleum Institutes Lubricants Committee has moved to drop two of its classic heavy-duty engine oil categories, API CF and API CF-2. API CF-2 licenses will be honored until Feb. 1, 2010, after which the products will be delisted from API’s directory of Engine Oil Licensees and the category declared obsolete. No new license applications were allowed, effective Sept. 29, 2009. API CF licensing ended Dec. 30, 2009. Any remaining licenses will expire on or before Dec. 30, 2010, ...

The end of the holiday season brought a flurry of mergers and acquisitions amongst a variety of lubricants distributors and suppliers, including two in the U.S., one in Canada and one in Europe. Shell Distributor Acquired Parkland Income Fund recently announced plans to acquire Bluewave Energy Limited Partnership for Canadian $214 million (U.S. $206 million) in a transaction expected to close at the end of this month. Privately held Bluewave is Shells largest branded distributor in Canada, del...

The American Petroleum Institute grabbed headlines during the holiday season with its approval of the ILSAC GF-5 passenger car engine oil specification, and an update on its motor oil aftermarket audit program, which found significant problems with about 4 percent of 534 samples tested. API Approves GF-5, Tackles SN (Dec. 23 issue) The American Petroleum Institute ballot for ILSAC GF-5 has closed in favor of the passenger car engine oil upgrade. That clears the way for GF-5 licensing to begin Oc...

HD-Petroleum plans to launch a Canadian $1.4 million (U.S. $1.3 million) rerefinery in Montcalm, Manitoba, next June that processes used motor oil to produce 1.2 million liters annually of low sulphur diesel fuel. Todd Habicht, HD-Petroleums president and general manager, said the company considered producing base oils, but didnt believe it was a good business decision to compete in Canadas base oil rerefinery market at this time. Safety-Kleen and Newalta operate the two existing base oil reref...

Valvoline Cummins India Ltd. has introduced Valvoline MaxLife Diesel motor oil for trucks in India, a market that puts extreme wear and tear on diesel truck engines. The company claims the product reduces oil top-up by 50 percent. MaxLife has a multi life additive system which rejuvenates seal conditioners inside the engine block and prevents oil leakage, Valvoline Cummins stated. Sandeep Singla, CEO of Valvoline Cummins, said India was a logical market for the products launch. The company wil...