Volume 14 Issue 16

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report
April 16, 2014U.S. markets have seen a slight uptick in volumes on several key routes while Europe and Asia remain mostly unchanged. U.S. Gulf Greater volume and a more varied range of grades have been seen from the U.S. Gulf to the Far East. April space is still obtainable but the rush of business has caused freight rates to pick up. Mixed xylenes in the amount of 5,000 tons from the U.S. Gulf to Mainport Far East went in the low-mid $70s per metric ton, for example, and 5,000 tons of styrene from the U.S. G...

Gazprom Continues Growth in Siberia
April 16, 2014Gazprom Neft commissioned the second stage of its lubricant blending production in Omsk, Western Siberia, and confirmed it will soon start construction of an API Group II base oil plant in Serbia. The Omsk upgrade adds 40,000 t/y to the existing 70,000 t/y finished lubes production capacity. Our new lubricants production there is the largest in Russia in terms of both blending and filling capacity, Gazprom Neft said in its Apr. 14 news release. After the upgrade, the facility is now able to prod...

Bechem Strengthens U.S. Presence
April 16, 2014Carl Bechem GmbH completed acquisition of its joint venture partners 50 percent interest in Etna-Bechem Lubricants LLC, resulting in the formation of Bechem Lubrication Technology LLC. Etna Products Inc. will continue to operate and serve its customers as an independently held company. Our focus over the last few years was to establish successful Carl Bechem companies in China and India, while strengthening our technical sales and service reach into those local markets, Hans-Otto Franz, managing...

Nigeria Welcomes More Synthetics
April 16, 2014Independents and majors are competing for Nigerias growing synthetic lubricants market, as Lubcon International, Forte Oil and Epoxy Oilserv all launched synthetic brands in the past six months. The Lubricants Producers Association of Nigeria (Lupan) estimated the countrys total lubricants demand at 582,000 metric tons in 2012, valued at about NGN680 billion (U.S. $4.2 billion). The association estimates the countrys installed indigenous lubricants plants have a combined capacity of 965,000 t/y....

Warren Grease Production Underway
April 16, 2014Warren Oil Co. announced last week it has begun producing and packaging grease at its West Memphis, Ark. plant. Following the completion of an expansion project at its West Memphis location last November, Warren Oils Warren Unilube Inc. recently completed trial runs and reached full production of grease manufacturing and packaging operations. The plants annual capacity is 10 million pounds of lithium, lithium complex, anhydrous calcium and calcium sulfonate greases. Half of the operations will p...
Briefly Noted
April 16, 2014Allor-Plesh will distribute Calumet Specialty Products Partners Royal Purple lubricants to the North American steel industry. Indonesian firm National Energy Solutions will distribute Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based BioBlends biobased industrial lubricants in Indonesia.