The American Petroleum Institute last week invoked provisional licensing of its API SJ, SL, SM and SN passenger car engine oil categories, as well as the new ILSAC GF-5 oils, because a key engine sequence test is unavailable. In an April 6 letter to engine oil licensees, the API Lubricants Group and other interested parties, API said any oil marketer needing to run the Sequence VG (“five-G”) test to qualify a new product or formulation will have to apply under provisional licensing ...

Avista Oil AG acquired a 50 percent stake in Universal Environmental Services LLC, enabling Universal to grow its used oil collection business and plan a base oil rerefinery in Peachtree City, Ga. Current plans call for a plant that will process 30 million gallons of waste oil per year. Were definitely expecting to be able to make [API] Group II base oil, Universal President John Redmond told Lube Report. Thats based on Avistas extensive experience in Europe, and the products they can produce ...

MOSCOW – Russias only domestic source of polyalphaolefins, Tatneft-Nizhnekamskneftekhim-Oil, has ceased production of API Group IV base stock for an undefined time, citing problems of alpha olefin supply. Nizhnekamskneftekhim, the Niezhnekamsk-based petrochemical company, cut alpha olefin supply to Tatnefts 10,000 ton-per-year PAO plant last year and has not resumed it, Gabbas Ilyasov, deputy director for development at the Tatneft plant, told Lube Report during the Base Oils and Lubric...

Elevance Renewable Sciences will collaborate with NL Grease LLC in commercialization of new high-performance grease technology and materials. Andy Shafer, Elevances executive vice president of sales and market development, said NL Grease was appealing because of its reputation as an innovator and leader in producing grease for a wide variety of different customers and applications. One of the things we found attractive with NL Grease was the fact they have a strong private label business that ...

PetroChoice acquired commercial and industrial lubricants distributor Anderson Lubricants from its shareholder and CEO Steve King. Terms were not disclosed. Superior, Wis.-based Anderson, which distributes ExxonMobil and private label products, will serve as the foundation for PetroChoices Midwest division. PetroChoice is the lubricant distribution holding company of KRG Capital Partners, a Denver-based private equity investment firm. Other lubricants distributors under PetroChoice include Tri...

WD-40 reported net income of $9.1 million for the quarter ending Feb. 28, a 15 percent decrease from the year-ago period, with net sales down 2 percent at $79.2 million. Earnings per share slid to 53 cents per diluted share in WD-40s fiscal second quarter, compared to 64 cents per share in the year-earlier period. San Diego-headquartered WD-40s fiscal year goes from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. The companys second-quarter sales in the Americas fell 14 percent to $38.1 million, sales in Europe climbed 1...