General Motors Powertrain is extending its Dexron brand beyond automatic transmission fluid and gear oil, and is preparing to offer hydraulic fluid, manual transmission fluid, power steering fluid and others under the “Dexron Approved” logo. The goal is to help consumers identify the correct products for use throughout the drivelines of their Chevrolets, Buicks, GMCs and Cadillacs, explained GM fuels and lubricants engineer Roy Fewkes in Farmington Hills, Mich. — and to steer ...

Shell on Friday announced the opening of its new 30,000 metric tons per year grease plant in Zhuhai, in Chinas Guangdong province. The grease plant, which is Shells largest, will have potential for expansion to 40,000 tons a year. The company said it will make a range of lithium, lithium calcium and lithium complex greases used mainly in passenger cars and industrial bearings. According to a Shell statement, the Zhuhai plant consists of a workshop with four production lines, grease processing e...

A leak at Lubrizols Rouen, France, plant 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of Paris sent a cloud of harmless gas smelling of sweat and rotten eggs into the air over the area. The release occurred early Monday morning and could be detected as far as London yesterday. According to a Lubrizol news release, an instability was detected with a batch of one of its products, and the resulting unpleasant smell was caused by mercaptan, a non-toxic compound at the quantities involved. This is the same s...

Lubricating Specialties Co. has completed the startup phase of its new blending and packaging facility in Azusa, Calif. The company also promoted Sydney Thwaites to president/chief operating officer, and welcomed back Rob Kress as senior vice president effective today. The Azusa facility is a partnership between LSC and MIT Group, which is based in northern China. LSC is the operating partner and the majority owner of the facility. The new facility is the companys fourth in southern California...

Slavneft-Yanos reported its Yaroslavl refinery processed 15.3 million tons of crude oil in 2012, 3.4 percent more than in 2011. But base oil production dipped from 248,000 tons in 2011 to 223,000 tons last year. The refinery’s petrochemicals output in 2012 totaled 8.6 million tons. The refinery in Russia produced 2.4 million tons of gasoline (3.2 percent increase), 873,000 tons of kerosene (3.7 percent increase), 4.7 million tons of diesel (6.1 percent increase) and 112,800 tons of aromat...

Raaj Unocal Lubricants will manufacture and market co-branded engine oils exclusively for Hindustan Motors vehicles under an agreement signed in Kolkata, India, earlier this month. The companies entered into a three-year contract to manufacture three engine oil grades suitable for use in diesel, gasoline and compressed natural gas-run engines in Hindustan Motors vehicles. According to a statement, the products were jointly developed by the research and development, and quality control departm...

U.S. markets have tightened noticeably for January loading, and rates have lifted on some routes. European coastal trades are still depressed but the deep-sea routes are better. Asia continues to be very busy all round. U.S. Gulf of Mexico Transatlantic eastbound rates rose from mid $40s to close on $50/t for 5,000 ton parcels from Houston to Rotterdam for January loading. This reflects prompt demand for ethanol and styrene that has caused space out of the U.S. Gulf to disappear. Peeking into F...