The American Petroleum Institute has updated its Motor Oil Guide, its primary document for educating consumers about engine oils, to include its latest gasoline and diesel engine oil upgrades. API also has beefed up the document’s warnings against using obsolete engine oils, such as SA and SB, in most cars on the road today. API reissued the Guide to coincide with the first licensing of SM oils, which began Nov. 30. API’s Lubricants Committee participated in its development and revie...

Shell Deutschland Oil plans to cease base oil production at the smaller of two base oil plants outside Hamburg, Germany, next year as part of a plan to streamline operations at the adjacent facilities. The company will stop making base oils at a former RWE-DEA plant, acquired as a result of a 2001 merger between German energy company DEA and Shells subsidiary in the country. Shell representatives emphasized yesterday that the company will continue producing base oils at the adjacent facility, co...

Bijur Lubrication Group announced Monday that it has acquired another lubrication system manufacturer, the British company Denco Lubrication Ltd. Bijur, which claims to be one of the worlds largest lube system suppliers, said it made the purchase to broaden its product offerings and geographical reach. [Denco] has a solid reputation and loyal customer base, President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas W. Arndt said. They will complement [Bijurs] Delimon Lubrication line and give our customers on...

The lubricant and lubricant additive markets are closing out 2004 on the same note that has characterized much of the year – rising prices. Arkema, Dow and OM Group all announced markups during the past few weeks. Dow said yesterday that it will increase North American prices on UCon polyglycol base fluids and synthetic lubricants by 3 cents to 8 cents per pound, effective Jan. 1. The Midland, Mich., company said prices for materials delivered in drums will be marked up an additional 5 cen...