PBF Holding Co. said Monday it will acquire Valero Energys Paulsboro, N.J., refinery, including its base oil plant, for $360 million plus the value of working capital and inventory. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter, pending necessary approvals. Paulsboro is a big fuels refinery, but lubricants is a very important aspect of the refining mix, PBF President Michael Gayda told Lube Report. Our intention is to continue that business. The price includes $180 million in cash, a...

Shell led in global market share of finished lubricants in 2009 for the fourth straight year, at 13.4 percent, reported consultancy Kline and Co., which estimated the global market at 35 million metric tons in 2009, down 8.4 percent from 2008. Klines study, Global Lubricants 2009: Market Analysis and Assessment, found Shell stayed ahead of its largest competitor, ExxonMobil, with its estimated 11 percent market share in 2009, as well as BP, which had 7 percent. Rounding out the top five were Ch...

A survey of automatic transmission fluid installers commissioned by Infineum found that quick lube, repair and rebuild shops make extensive use of ATF supplements in spite of OEM recommendations against using them. An independent research firm conducted the phone survey of 139 installers in 2009 for Infineum, which detailed the results in its September 2010 Infineum Insight journal. The study was commissioned by Ed Post, Infineums North American specialties market manager. The survey found 53 ...

Rhone Capital will sell a controlling interest in Arizona Chemical to private equity firm American Securities. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. Arizona Chemical is a biorefiner of pine chemicals for the lubricants, fuel additives, adhesives, inks and coatings, mining and oleochemicals markets. Rhone Capital acquired the Arizona Chemical business from International Paper for $485 million in December 2006. The transaction, announced Monday and subject to regulatory approvals, is e...

Kimes Technologies International has moved to a larger facility that includes its first laboratory. The sulfonates marketer also named Julie Kimes, daughter of company founder Norman L. Kimes, as president effective Sept. 16. Julie Kimes previously worked for Stoney Creek and most recently Soltex. Norman Kimes will remain active as chairman of the board and will handle special projects for the company. The additional space and lab will help us accommodate our growing business and help us bette...

BASF, Arizona Chemical and Eastman Chemical each raised prices on lube-related chemical products, citing factors such as rising raw material costs and strong market demand. On Friday, BASF said it will increase sales prices globally for all coolants, brake fluids and specialty fluids by up to U.S. $530 per metric ton effective immediately, or as contracts allow. The price adjustments are necessary due to significantly increased raw material costs, stated BASF of Ludwigshafen, Germany. Arizona ...

There has been a lull in demand for September space out of the U.S. Gulf, but October still looks encouraging. Asian business is picking up after the mid-Autumn festival, but will probably drop off again with the onset of Golden Week. Europe remains flat in most directions. U.S. Gulf of Mexico There are no prompt cargoes being circulated on the U.S. Gulf-to-Northwest Europe trade lane, although there is quite some interest in cargoes such as styrene, ethanol, cyclohexane and acetone for October...