Volume 12 Issue 31

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report

It has not been suchan active week in Europe, although things have been busy in Asia and many ships are now booked ahead through the month. The market in the Americas remains dismal. U.S. Gulf of Mexico At the risk of repeating last weeks information, many ships in the Gulf lay idle the entire week. The U.S. Gulf to the Caribbean cannot offer much relief, as there is minimal activity taking place. The U.S. Gulf to East Coast of South America route remains tight, but only because contractual v...

Lifting the Veil on Bulk Oil

Consumers buying oil changes will know what theyve received, and bulk motor oil shipments will require documentation in some states starting in July 2013, thanks to recent handbook amendments adopted by the National Conference on Weights and Measures. One amendment to National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 130 requires retail installers to provide detailed information on customer invoices or receipts regarding oil change services. The required motor oil information includes vis...

Shell Big on Asia

SINGAPORE – Shell Lubricants is committed to investing in Asia, with a focus on China, and its strong regional supply chain – including several base oil plants and a gas-to-liquids hub – is the foundation for that investment. As Tempelman, Shell Lubricants Singapore-based general manager for global strategy, offered a big-picture overview of Asias lubricants market and Shells outlook for the future at the ICIS Asian Base Oils and Lubricants Conference here June 27. Since 2010...

Evergreen: We Comply

Evergreen Oil, Inc. says that requests by a California advocacy group to shutter its Newark, Calif., rerefinery because of a July 6 incident are completely unwarranted and unnecessary, noting the plant, which is reportedly up for sale, has been operating safely since 1984. In a prepared statement, the company said that it continues to meet all regulations from city, county and state agencies. Evergreen is one of the first and finest green businesses in California, rerefining used motor oil, pre...

Q2 Earnings Wrap Up

This week brought a wave of financial reports for second quarter earnings from Afton Chemical, Heritage-Crystal Clean, Quaker Chemical, SK Lubricants, S-Oil and Valvoline. Afton Chemical Afton Chemical reported operating profit of $96.9 million in the quarter ending June 30, up 13.2 percent from $85.6 million in the year-earlier quarter. Additives segment revenue reached $584.2 million, up 2 percent from $572.8 million in 2011s second quarter. Petroleum additive results for both the second qua...

LLK Contests Turkish Acquisition

Lukoil filed for arbitration in its 2008 acquisition of a lubricants blending plant and other assets in Turkey, fearing it might lose ground in the countrys lucrative petrochemicals market. The claim was filedlastmonth; financial details were not disclosed. Several Lukoil subsidiaries in Turkey, including Lukoil Eurasia Petrol, filed a claim in the Stockholm arbitration court in relation to the Akpet deal, Dmitry Dolgov, Lukoil’s spokesman, told Lube Report in a telephone interview from M...