Independent lubricant manufacturer Warren Oil Co. has bought two blending and packaging plants from Shell Oil Products US. The plants are located in Johnstown, Pa., and Marion, Ill. The Marion facility was among seven that Shell decided to sell or close after its purchase of Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. last year. Warren officials said the acquisition takes advantage of plant overlaps created when Shell acquired Pennzoil-Quaker State, and even earlier, by Pennzoils acquisition of Quaker State. Clea...

In a move expected to tighten supply of feedstock for polyalphaolefins, BP recently idled its linear alphaolefin plant in Pasadena, Texas. BP said it was halting production at the facility, which has the capacity to produce 500,000 metric tons of LAOs per year, because of dramatic increases in production costs – that is, natural gas and oil used for raw materials and fuel. Market observers said that move, along with scheduled maintenance turnarounds at LAO plants owned by Chevron Phillips ...

Pitt Penn Oil Co. emerged from nearly 21 months of bankruptcy Monday with new ownership based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Creighton, Pa., blender of automotive lubricants and chemicals has been renamed Pitt Penn Oil Co. LLC, following an acquisition of assets by SpinWell Holding Co., a partnership between businessmen Kenneth Spinelli and Bryan Maxwell. The company said Spinelli and Maxwell have no previous experience in the lubricants industry nor any prior relationship with Pitt Penn. Spinelli is n...