Volume 16 Issue 1

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report

The U.S. market topped both Europe and Asia in terms of activity recently, but none of the major shipping markets were actually that busy over the holiday season. Americas From the U.S. Gulf to Europe, base oils are believed to be shipping mainly under contractual agreements at present, with no discernible signs of spot trading. Eastbound transatlantic has been reasonably active, with parcels of styrene talked. Some ethanol was booked and there have been parcels of vinyl acetate monomer, acetic ...

Rerefiners Reshuffle for Success

Low crude oil prices, decreased demand from industrial burners and growth in rerefining capacity have been the three major contributors to the rerefining industrys trend away from pay-for-oil toward charge-to-collect, Vertex Energy CEO Ben Cowart told attendees of the ICIS Pan American Base Oils and Lubricants Conference on Dec. 4 in Jersey City, N.J. Rerefiners are one of three major markets for the 1.3 billion gallons of used motor oil generated in the U.S. each year, Cowart reported, along wi...

Shell Exports from Russia

Royal Dutch Shells Russian subsidiary has started to export lubricants made at its blending plant in Torzhok, the company told Lube Report. So far, we produced lubes only for the Russian market, but recently we started to ship products to Belarus, said William Kozik, general director of Shell Neft. In 2016 we plan to expand our sales to Kazakhstan, too. Courtesy of Shell Storage tanks at Shell’s blending plant in Torzhok, Russia. The 180,000 tons per year blending plant in Torzhok is one...

Nynas Completes Harburg Refinery Takeover

Nynas announced Monday the completion of its takeover of a former Shell base oil refinery in Harburg, Germany. API Group I production there has ceased, a company official confirmed to Lube Report, while naphthenic base oil production has increased to 330,000 metric tons per year. The Group I plant had 170,000 tons per year capacity. The Group I plant is now closed, Nynas Communication Director Hans stlin told Lube Report. The addition of Harburg to the Nynas supply network is an important step f...

Icahn Wins Bidding War for Pep Boys

After making an offer to acquire Pep Boys for $17 per share, Bridgestone Retail Operations was outbid December 29 by New York City-based Icahn Enterprises L.P., which offered $18.50 per share for the automotive services provider. Icahn, a holdings company engaged in various business segments, entered a definitive merger agreement with Pep Boys to purchase its shares through an all-cash transaction of approximately $1 billion in aggregate equity value, according to a joint press release from both...

Briefly Noted

Fusion Chemical, of Indianapolis, will distribute United Kingdom-based Metalubes industrial lubricants across the United States. Universal Environmental Services LLC acquired Sylacauga, Ala.-based environmental services company Metro Environmental Services Inc., forming UESs 21st terminal operation and providing additional used oil collection volume for its rerefinery in Peachtree City, Ga. Kraton Performance Polymers expects to consummate its previously announced $1.4 billion acquisition of Arizona Chemical Co. early this month.