Chevron and Citgo each confirmed they will not offer Dexos-licensed motor oils at present, choosing instead to produce new formulations that meet the General Motors requirements without licensing. We strive to efficiently manage cost and complexity to keep our customers as competitive as possible in the marketplace, Chevron said in a statement to Lube Report. The additional costs of the Dexos 1 licensing and the added potential complexity of carmakers making separate decisions on product formul...

With bulk oil prices down 30 cents per gallon, payroll taking a smaller bite from total sales and average tickets rising nicely, U.S. quick lubes have not only weathered the recession but are well positioned for growth, National Oil & Lube News reports. In its September issue, NOLN reports the results of its 2010 Fast Lube Operators Survey, its annual in-depth look at operations, prices, demographics, employees, sales, products and services at U.S. quick lube stores. Replies to the 2010 su...

A standard test method approved by ASTM measures volatile organic compounds in metalworking fluids and rust inhibitors, a development with widespread ramifications for the lubricants industry. ASTM test method E 1868-10 was developed to determine compliance with CaliforniasSouth Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1144, and is now the only accepted method. The rule, which aims to reduce VOC emissions from metalworking fluids and rust inhibitors, applies to all industrial users of the pro...

General Motors will launch a new semi-synthetic ACDelco-branded, Dexos-licensed engine oil to be manufactured by ExxonMobil. Scheduled for launch later this year in the United States and Canada, ExxonMobil will make GMs new semi-synthetic Dexos engine oil. ExxonMobil will sell ACDelco Dexos 1 5W-30 to GM, ExxonMobil spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer told Lube Report. GM confirmed that it will offer its own ACDelco Dexos to consumers. The selection of synthetic blend and the price positioning of ACD...

Linnaeus Plant Sciences has licensed DuPont technology to develop and commercialize camelina oil, an oil seed crop that could replace petroleum in some industrial lubricants and greases. Linnaeus, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has developed industrial applications for oil seeds for uses beyond fuels – including hydraulic fluids, greases and polymer production – for the last 12 years. The agreement includes oil gene intellectual property, advanced gene technologies and biotechnology ex...

There are a reasonable number of cargo opportunities for ships open in the U.S. Gulf. Ships in Asian waters are also fairly easy to cover, but Europe is a much harder region from which to secure business. U.S. Gulf of Mexico It has been another one of those weeks in which parts of the U.S. market have given the appearance of being very busy, whereas other parts have been sluggish. And even more maddeningly, those routes that have looked busy have not actually produced that many fixtures. Its a...