The Mexican subsidiary of Kluber Lubrication Munchen KG is building a 95,000-square-foot grease plant to replace an existing facility in Mexico City. Officials say it will allow the company to expand its production not only for that country, but for the rest of North America as well. The company broke ground on the project Sept. 2 and expects to finish in a year. The new facility is located on a 12-acre site in the city of Queretaro, approximately 150 miles north of Mexico City. It will have cap...

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) Saying that many automatic transmission fluids today are inadequate to meet its service life and performance goals, General Motors this week unveiled a significant upgrade to its Dexron III ATF specification. The move will force ATF formulators and blenders to undergo a costly round of testing in order to obtain upgraded Dexron III “H” licenses, and will probably force most ATF manufacturers to use Group II and II-plus base oils in their products. In a prese...

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) Engine oils for General Motors 2004 model year passenger cars will have to leap an additional hurdle beyond the ILSAC GF-3 specification, it was announced here Monday. Speaking before ILMA meeting here, GMs Roy Fewkes said the automaker has decided that since the introduction of GF-4 oils has been delayed, it needs to reactivate the GM 6094M low-temperature pumpability requirement. The old GM 6094M specification was dropped when API initiated the engine oil licensing an...

Shell Oil Co. completed its acquisition of Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. yesterday, after agreeing to meet regulator demands to sell Pennzoil-Quaker States stake in the Excel Paralubes base oil joint venture. Shell officials lauded the deal despite the divestiture required by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, predicting the acquisition would allow the Royal Dutch/Shell Group to become the biggest and most profitable lubricant marketer in the United States and the world. The acquisition of Pennzoil-...