The active market to Asia is fast depleting the U.S. of open tonnage. Europe is also offloading a lot of surplus vessels into India and Asia. Asia is active on domestic routes but much less so on long-haul routes. U.S. Gulf As this column predicted, the U.S. Gulf to Asia route reignited after the Thanksgiving holiday as buyers came out in force with multiple enquiries. Base oils were represented with 14,000 tons being fixed from the U.S. Gulf to Singapore for $98 per metric ton. Other requireme...

General Motors is putting the finishing touches on the next generation of its proprietary Dexos engine oil specifications, expected to be ready in 2015 for 2016 model year vehicles – a full two years ahead of the industry-wide GF-6 specification.Eric R. Johnson, industry liaison for fuels and lubricants with GM Powertrain in Milford, Mich., unveiled the new generation specs at the ICIS Pan-American Base Oils & Lubricants Conference in Jersey City, N.J., last week. Johnson introduced n...

Calumet Specialty Products Partners yesterday announced it acquired Bel-Ray Co., a New Jersey-based manufacturer and distributor of lubricants. Terms were not disclosed.Bel-Ray manufactures and distributes specialty lubricants sold through its industrial, mining and powersports divisions.This transaction signals our ongoing commitment to growing a global specialty products business, Jennifer Straumins, Calumet Specialty Products Partners president and chief operating officer, said in a news rele...

Taiwans CPC-Shell Lubricants is evaluating whether it will restart its shuttered API Group I low-viscosity base oil production train in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.The 120,000 metric tons per year Group I low-vis production line, which manufactures SN150, was shut down last June for a routine turnaround of the companys base oil production facilities and has not been restarted, a source familiar with the matter told Lube Report.The plant also includes a 130,000 tons per year high-viscosity SN500 and bright...

A North Carolina state agency issued an official ban on the sale of Everclear motor oil after tests found 95 samples failed to meet proper levels of viscosity and several other industry standards.The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stop-sale order applies to three grades of oil labeled 5W-30, 10W-30 and 10-W40, which all failed to meet viscosity levels that would protect an engine against wear, the department said in a Dec. 5 press release. The company responsible for supply...

The Moscow Arbitration Court for commercial disputes agreed that Vostok-Logistik imported Shell lubricants without authorization into Russia, a Shell official confirmed to Lube Report.According to the claim filed by Shell Brands International, the Anglo-Dutch oil major sought financial compensation of 53 million rubles (U.S. $1.6 million) for unauthorized import of its production by the Moscow-based Vostok-Logistik, a cargo transportation company.Shell requested that the court ban Vostok-Logisti...

A fire caused by a ruptured product tank injured one worker at Bango Refinings rerefinery in Fallon, Nev., Monday morning.In a news release issued Monday, Bango stated that around 9:15 a.m. this morning the facility experienced a rupture in one of its product tanks. The plant was operating normally at the time the incident occurred. A small fire that resulted from the ruptured tank was quickly extinguished. Although the full details are not known at this time, one employee was injured and has be...

Gazprom Neft Lubricants and Russian car maker Derways sealed a five-year partnership agreement for supply, development and marketing of new lubricant products.Under the deal announced by the lube maker last week, both companies pledge to expand their partnership in supply and marketing of lubricants and development of new factory fill products for more car brands assembled by Derways.Since mid-2012, Gazprom Neft Lubricants has been a factory fill supplier for the Lifan cars, made in Derways plan...

Petronas Lubricants Internationalappointed Joe Rousmaniere head of new base oil technology effective Dec. 1, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Chemicals distributorNexeo Solutionscompleted the acquisition of lubricants blender and packagerChemical Specialists and Development, known asStarTex Chemical.Oman Oilhas successfully completed its acquisition ofOxea.