The U.S. Gulf market is beginning to tighten up, although freights are unchanged so far. Europe is completely over-tonnaged and demand for space is poor. Asia continues to buck the trend and remains the most active region globally. U.S. Gulf of Mexico One by one, the ships are being fixed away from the U.S. Gulf and are not being replaced. Unless there is a significant swing upwards in the number of ships bringing cargoes into the Gulf, the region will be fairly tight on vessel space by mid Jul...

Risk of brake failure from vibration causing brake lines to rupture and leak hydraulic fluid led BMW to recall 15,532 model year 2005 to 2009 motorcycles, starting in July. The motorcycle models recalled include the BMW/K 1200 GT, and several BMW/R 1200 variants, over various model year ranges. Due to the current routing of the front brake lines, BMW said, brake lines could be under strain during riding and associated vibration. If the vibration and strain is significant, the brake lines could ...

SEOUL – China and India may grab the headlines, but numerous smaller Asian countries report vibrant growth and fast-changing lubricant markets. In Bangladesh, lube demand and quality are rising, and one local blender is taking the lead. Azam J. Chowdhury, an industrialist and entrepreneur whose business interests in Bangladesh include trading, manufacturing, engineering, banking, insurance, tea plantations, fuels and lubricants, offered a rare glimpse of his countrys lubricant market at t...

LAS VEGAS – Emerging fuel efficient powertrain technologies such as turbocharged direct injection engines will increase the need for improvements in powertrain lubricants, Daniel Kapp, Fords director of powertrain research and advanced engineering, told the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers annual meeting. Direct injection, used by Fords EcoBoost engine for more precise control, delivers a fine mist of fuel directly into each cylinder. The dual turbochargers on Fords initi...

A leak of industrial lubricant and air under high pressure in the compressor unit caused a May 12 explosion in Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric power plant, the investigation committee of the Russian prosecutors office told the Kommersant newspaper. The explosion knocked out the compressor unit and its mounted roof and killed two, including the head of the fire guard of Nabereznye Chelny firefighting department. The leak lowered the lubricant level in the power stations compressor unit which overheat...

Elevance Renewable Sciences and Wilmar International formed a joint venture to build a biochemical refinery in Indonesia. It is expected to come online in 2011 with 180,000 metric tons per year capacity, and ability to expand up to 360,000 t/y. The facility will be within Singapore-based Wilmars new integrated manufacturing complex under construction in Surabaya, Indonesia. Using Elevances biorefinery technology, it will be able to process multiple renewable oil feed stocks – including pa...

R.T. Vanderbilt will invest $20 million to expand its Murray, Ky., chemical manufacturing operation, adding 16 new jobs. It also outlined plans for a new laboratory in China. The expansion is primarily to meet the growing demands of current products but will be versatile enough to handle the new products we have in the introductory stage and current being field tested by some of our customers, Steve Donnelly, global business manager of Vanderbilts petroleum department, told Lube Report. We do h...

After months of rumors, its confirmed. BASF will buy Cognis for 3.1 billion (U.S. $3.8 billion), in a deal announced June 23 and expected to close by November 2010. Dusseldorf, Germany-based Cognis signed a sale and purchase agreement to sell 100 percent of the shares in Cognis Holding GmbH to BASF SE for 700 million in cash. Including debt and pension obligations, the transaction is valued at 3.1 billion. Since November 2001, Cognis Group has been owned by a consortium of private equity funds ...