U.S. lubricant sales volumes for the fourth quarter of 2001 were 2.9 percent lower than in the same period of 2000, according to the latest Quarterly Index of Lubricant Sales report. The report, released by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association last week, said sales volumes for the entire year were down 4.4 percent. The numbers were no surprise to those who follow the industry. Geeta S. Agashe, Director of Petroleum and Energy at Kline and Co. consultants, said the data were consis...

Third Coast Packagings blending plant in Pearland, Texas, was destroyed May 1 by one of the worst fires to hit the U.S. lubricants industry in the past few years. The fire was still small when discovered by a security guard at 1:20 a.m. but quickly spread to cover the 15-acre site, setting off explosions and sending flames high into the night. Once it got into the tank farm, one or more of the tanks ruptured, and then the fire just ran with the oil, Pearland Fire Marshal and Emergency Management...

In what could be its last first quarter report, Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. said its profits for the first three months of 2002 increased 153 percent compared the same period of 2001. The company, which on March 25 announced plans to be bought by Shell Oil Products U.S., had net income of $21 million, or 26 cents per share, for the period ended March 31, up from $8.3 million, or 11 cents per share, during the first quarter of 2001. (Net income equals operating income for all segments minus corpora...

Fire damaged Ergon Inc.s refinery in Vicksburg, Miss., last week, sidelining the biggest U.S. source of naphthenic base oil for four to five weeks. Industry sources said the downtime will squeeze a naphthenic market that was already tight. Theres no question this will have a big impact, said one refiner and marketer, who spoke on condition that he not be identified. Weve already been contacted by a number of their customers but we, Im sure like other naphthenic producers, are always sold out. We...