Volume 2 Issue 13

Drum Prices Barreling Upwards

Lubricant blenders and marketers in the United States will be paying more for one of their favorite containers, thanks to trade sanctions imposed to protect U.S. steel makers. In the past few weeks, steel drum makers have announced price increases of 8 to 10 percent. Container companies say they are simply passing on hikes that they have faced from steel suppliers – and that they expect further increases in coming months. There are some people walking around grumbling about this, Pinnacle ...

API Snuffs Out GF-2

The American Petroleum Institute will stop licensing GF-2passenger car engineoils at the end of this month, effectively forcing nearly all marketers who have not done so to switch to GF-3 formulations. GF-3 oils hit the market last summer, afterASTM approvedthe specification. But API, which administers the Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System, continued licensing GF-2 products, ostensibly to give smaller independent marketers time to complete the testing required to obtain GF-3 licenses...

Shell to Buy Pennzoil-Quaker State

With its proposed purchase of Pennzoil-Quaker State Co., the Royal Dutch/Shell Group would be neck and neck with ExxonMobil for the title of worlds biggest lubricant company. But Shell apparently intends to mount its challenge without the help of hundreds of existing Pennzoil-Quaker State employees. Shell officials said they plan to eliminate 15 percent of the companies combined forces in lubricants. Pennzoil-Quaker State employs 7,400 people worldwide, compared to 800 for Shells U.S. lubricant ...