Europe continues to hold the title of busiest region over the past week. Asia is starting to catch up while the U.S. languishes with low levels of demand on almost every trade lane. U.S. Gulf Very little is happening out of the U.S. these days. Eastbound transatlantic is a shadow of itself with only the occasional biodiesel or glycol shipment. Styrene is virtually absent from the spot market, as is ethanol. Fortunately for owners, their contractual nominations are still running at high levels so...

A California legislator whose constituents include Biosynthetic Technologies has introduced a state bill that will require use of biosynthetic motor oil in passenger cars, light-duty trucks and vans starting in 2016. Sen. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) introduced California Senate Bill SB 916, Biosynthetic lubricants: procurement: sale, on Jan. 27. It defines a biosynthetic lubricant as a lubricating oil that contains a biobased product. The bill defines a biobased product as one of two types: compose...

Russian oil majors Lukoil, Gazprom Neft and Tatneft appealed to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to slash Russias lubricant export tax to 20 percent of the crude oil export tax to improve the lubricants industrys dire situation. Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov, Gazprom Neft President Alexander Dyukov and Tatneft General Director Nail Maganov voiced concerns over the current lube export duties in an official letter to Medvedev. The duties apply to both base oils and finished lubricants. Lube Repor...

Lubrication Technologies will invest $16 million to renovate a manufacturing facility in Shreveport, La., the states governor announced Monday. The Minnesota-based lubricant manufacturer, also known as Lube-Tech, will begin the renovation project in the first quarter of 2014, according to a press release from the office of Louisianas governor, Bobby Jindal. The Louisiana Economic Development agency provided a $750,000 loan incentive and helped the company find the site, which is a 226,000 square...

Oman Oil Marketing Co. acquired a 40 percent shareholding in blender Lubechem International Industry, based in the United Arab Emirates, for 1.5 million dirham (U.S. $408,000), according to a filing with the Muscat Securities Market. The primary business purpose of Lubechem is the manufacturing and blending of greases, lubricants and chemicals, and the acquisition is expected to enhance the ability of [Oman Oil Marketing] in its lubricants vertical supply chain integration process, the company s...

Whitmore Manufacturing Co. announced last week it will acquire Fluid Defense Systems LLC, a lubricant handling and contamination control company based in Illinois. Rockwall, Texas-based Whitmore will add Fluid Defense to its list of subsidiaries, which includes mining, rail and industrial lubricants companies, Air Sentry contamination control, and Kats Coatings. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fluid Defense Systems, known primarily for its OilSafe branded lubrication management system,...

Elevance Renewable Sciences and Enis Versalis chemical subsidiary will jointly develop and scale a new metathesis technology to produce biochemicals from vegetable oils. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to form a partnership. They will assess the design and construction of the first ethylene metathesis-based production that will use renewable oils at Versalis Porto Marghera site in Italy, taking advantage of existing infrastructure and production streams. According to the F...