The last week of February has not been as vigorous as would be expected and the markets in the U.S., Europe and Asia all felt rather deflated. U.S. Gulf It has been all rather sedate in the U.S. Gulf over the past week. Natural gas prices comfortably exceeded $6 per one million BTUs in the U.S. Gulf, which is the first time in a while they have been at these levels, prompting suggestions that higher feedstock prices are hitting the U.S export potential right now. U.S. Gulf to Caribbean has certa...

LONDON – SK Lubricants, unlike most other industry players, predicts an API Group III base oil deficit by 2017, and will expand Group III+ output in Dumai, Indonesia, by 50 percent next year, in addition to streaming its new facility in Cartagena, Spain, later this year. Paul Kerwin, European sales manager for SK Lubricants Europe, told the ICIS World Base Oils & Lubricants Conference here on Feb. 20 that the world will see a Group III base oil shortage by 2017, particularly for base o...

Nynas agreement to purchase and market the naphthenic production at Valeros base oil plant in Three Rivers, Texas, ended last year, a Nynas official confirmed to Lube Report, and Valero is now marketing the pale oil on its own. Valeros Three Rivers, Texas, refinery has 2,400 barrels per day naphthenic base oil capacity. AB Nynas Petroleum announced in May 2003 it had entered a long-term agreement to purchase all of the naphthenic production at Valeros Three Rivers base oil plant. As part of the ...

Global lubricant additive consumption will grow 2.2 percent per year from 4 million metric tons in 2012 to 4.5 million tons by 2017, consultancy Kline & Co. projected, exceeding the 1.7 percent annual growth rate projected for finished lubricants. Kline valued 2012s global lubricant additive consumption of 4 million tons at $13.3 billion. Upshi Ghosh, project manager for Klines energy practice, presented a webinar yesterday on the study, Global Lubricant Additives: Market Analysis and Opport...

Chemtura and Heritage-Crystal Clean reported positive numbers in fourth quarter and year end 2013 earnings, while Calumet posted a mixed bag of ups and downs, compared to the year-earlier period and full year 2012 results. Chemtura Chemtura reported increased net sales and operating income in its fourth quarter and year end 2013 report. The Philadelphia-based specialty chemicals companys industrial performance products segment posted sales of $242 million in the fourth quarter, up 13 percent fro...

Russian oil major Lukoil started supplying marine lubricants in bulk quantities to a key Black Sea port in southwest Russia. Lukoil Marine Lubricants delivered its Navigo branded products – alkaline marine cylinder lubricants for low-speed two-stroke diesel engines – to customers in Novorossiysk on Jan. 15. Until recently, lubricant supplies were not available in bulk in this port, the company said in a recent news release. Vessels were able to bunker here but had to call in another ...