Finally, theres a more positive feel to the market, with more spot market opportunities in all areas. Rates have begun to climb in Asia, but Europe and the U.S. are only beginning to become accustomed to the new activity, and rates there are mostly unchanged. U.S. Gulf The Thanksgiving holiday curtailed the work week in the U.S., but there are some signs that the market is picking up. U.S. Gulf-to-Far East, for example, has been enhanced by a greater amount of contractual business which has left...

Bulgarian lubricants maker Prista Oil significantly expanded grease production at its plant near the nations capital, the company told Lube Report. The 1.5 million (U.S. $1.9 million) project added 6,000 metric tons to the plants current capacity of 8,000 tons per year, according to the company. The plant is operated by Verila Lubricants, part of Prista Oil Holding EAD. With this investment we increased our grease production and implemented a more flexible production process, a Prista official, ...

Union workers began a 72-hour strike Monday at Totals refinery in Gonfreville, France, over the companys plans to modernize its specialties offerings and decrease API Group I base oil production there, according to multiple news reports. A majority of the refinerys 135 base oil workers voted for the strike, which halted base oil production, Reuters reported Dec. 2, quoting an official with the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) union. By deadline, Total and the CGT union office in France did ...

Investment firm Capital Southwest Corp. will spin off specialty lubricant marketer Whitmore Manufacturing and two other chemical businesses, creating a standalone company by the third quarter of 2015. Previously an integrated company including an investment-focused unit along with several industrial and specialty chemicals companies, Capital Southwest will split into two standalone entities. Capital Southwest will remain a business development company, while its three manufacturing companies ...

BioAmber is nearing completion of its plant in Sarnia, Ontario, where it will produce 30,000 metric tons per year of succinic acid, and a portion will go to oleochemical company Oleon for use in biolubricants under a new supply agreement. BioAmbers subsidiary, BioAmber Sarnia, which is a joint venture between BioAmber and Mitsui & Co., agreed to exclusively supply bio-succinic acid for use in lubricants to Oleon, a European oleochemical company that is developing a new line of succinic-acid...

U.S. sales of new cars in 2015 will rise to nearly 17 million units, according a new forecast from the National Automobile Dealers Association. The groups Chief Economist Steven Szakaly stated in a November teleconference, Rising employment and wages, continued low interest rates and lower gasoline prices all signal an increase in new light vehicle sales in 2015. The U.S. economy has come back slowly yet surely with a 3.1 percent growth expected next year that hasnt been seen in over six years, ...

The Technical Association of the European Lubricants Industry, ATIEL, reminds engine oil marketers that the ACEA 2010 Sequence officially expires on Dec. 22, 2014, for all products – meaning that any lubricant formulations claiming to meet ACEA requirements which are marketed after that date must conform to the ACEA 2012 Sequence upgrade. In turn, ACEA 2012 will expire two years after the adoption of the ACEA 2014 Sequence, which is not yet finalized. For information, see www.acea.be/indus...