Volume 13 Issue 15

U.S. Base Oil Capacity Stays Steady

Base oil capacity in the United States totaled 218,000 barrels per day on Jan. 1, compared to 217,300 b/d a year earlier, according to American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers 2013 Lubricating Oil and Wax Capacities Report. The report contains data on base oil and wax plants in the United States, Canada and Latin America. U.S. virgin API Group I capacity was 63,600 b/d, Group II and III capacity totaled 106,300 b/d, and naphthenics capacity reached 48,100 b/d. The publication lists lo...

Motorcycle Lubes Poised to Grow

The two-wheeler industrys demand for lubricants is projected to increase globally at a rate of 6 percent from 2011 to 2016, Kline & Co. found, driven by growth in vehicle population and production, usage in commercial applications, and higher fuel prices. Global demand for two-wheeler lubricants was 1.1 million tons in 2011, while the total two-wheeler population was almost 500 million units. According to Klines study, Lubricants for Motorcycles, Scooters and Mopeds: Global Market Analysis...

Total, Veolia Launch JV Rerefinery

Veolia Environnement and Total inaugurated their 55 million (U.S. $72.5 million) Osilub joint venture rerefinery in Normandy, France on Friday, which has the capacity to process 120,000 metric tons of used oil per year. The new plant in Gonfreville lOrcher was constructed over the course of 20 months, according to a news release. Company officials said the plant has the capacity to bring in almost half of Frances used oil, and that up to 75 percent of its intake will yield rerefined base oil. ...

GHS May Prove Costly, Complex

OSHA estimates that compliance with the GHS ruling will cost more than $110 million and will represent about 27 percent of compliance costs for the chemical manufacturing industry. But Jeff Leiter, general counsel of the Petroleum Packaging Council, said this estimate is probably well off the mark. For example, he said, the agency figures that it will cost about $600 per data sheet, which is probably a low estimate. In a presentation to the Petroleum Packaging Council in St. Augustine, Fla., i...

Falcon Absorbs MWF Firm

Falcon Industrial has acquired Benchmark Fluids for an undisclosed amount, a move that Falcon says will expand its customer base and strengthen its metalworking technologies. Both companies develop and manufacture metalworking fluids, industrial lubricants, and surface technologies for metalworking industries. Benchmark will add welding and fabrication technologies to Falcons sales repertoire, Falcon Vice President of Finance and Operations Manager Eric Leander told Lube Report. Benchmark has e...

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report

Markets out of the U.S. are not very exciting, but nor is there an over tonnage situation as there is in Europe, that is keeping freight rates depressed there. Asia saw a slight improvement in activity levels over the past week, although there is still open space available in April. U.S. Gulf of Mexico It has been a week of mixed results in the U.S. The main U.S. Gulf-to-Far East route is flagging, and rates have edged down slightly as it has become apparent that several vessels still have spac...