The U.S. Gulf is fast becoming tight on available space in most directions. Europe also had a fairly busy week, and even Asian markets are looking a little better than they have for a couple of weeks. U.S. Gulf It is becoming apparent that trade is picking up in the U.S. Gulf, because almost every major trade lane is reported to be tight on prompt space. We have seen this development on the U.S. Gulf to Far East service for several weeks now. Firstly, contractual obligations improved and now ...

Loadmaster Lubricants announced a $2 million expansion that will double grease production capacity at its 80,000 square foot Hugo, Minn., facility. The expansion is necessary to meet growing demand, Loadmasters president Jim Paboucek told Lube Report. The project will add two grease reactors, four finishing kettles, and six storage tanks, Paboucek said, and will help the company meet demand for more mainstream grease products. Currently, Loadmaster specializes in high viscosity gear oils for e...

Rhein Chemies lubricants division recently invested 750,000 ($978,000) in new equipment for testing hydraulic fluids at its technology center in Mannheim, Germany. Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH purchased the new equipment, a testing installation from Parker Dension, and inaugurated it last week. The German additive company will use it to develop hydraulic additive packages and to conduct tests on behalf of the companys lubricants customers. Although the equipment is in Europe, the technology will ...

MUMBAI, India – India will feel the greatest demographic and social pressures in coming decades, as young people spiral up consumption, shops turn into corporations and rural society mechanizes, the ICIS Indian Base Oils Conference heard. Anirban Ghosh, vice president for strategic planning and new business development at automaker Mahindra & Mahindra, projected the impact of global megatrends on Indian society in his April 23 keynote talk at the first ICIS Indian lubricants conferen...

Canadian quick lubes report average oil drain intervals of over 7,000 km (nearly 4,400 miles), average sales per store over C$1 million (U.S. $974,000), and an average ticket total of nearly C$90, according to National Oil & Lube News first survey of Canadas fast lube operators. Published in the May issue of NOLN, the 2013 Canadian Fast Lube Operators Survey compiled data from facilities throughout Canada, looking at quick lubes operations, prices, sales, products and services. Canadian q...

Driven by an influx of foreign cars, Russia’s demand for high-quality lubes has steadily increased since 2005, while stringent emission-reduction standards have resulted in development of a new generation of lube additives. Russia had 44 million vehicles in 2012, including nearly 37 million passenger cars, according to Moscow-based consultancy Autostat. Over 70 percent of the fleet is concentrated in the European part of the country, while almost 30 percent of it is in the Central Federal...

Seeing an opening for a second U.S.-based supplier of chlorinated paraffins, Qualice LLC recently launched operations in North Carolina. Charles “Chuck” Davis, president of the venture, said his company’s new facility fired up its first chlorinating unit on April 1, and within a couple weeks had its initial batches of waxy, very long-chain chlorinated alpha olefin out the door to lubricant industry customers. Chlorinated paraffins have been used since the 1930s in lubricants ...