Independent lubricant blenders and quick-lube operators are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require an inter-industry promotional campaign to ensure maximum use of GF-4 passenger car motor oils after commercial licensing of the standard begins this summer. A spokesmanfor one carmaker predicted that some form of campaign will be included when the agency issues its requirements for the auto industry in coming weeks. ILSAC, the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval...

LONDON-After three years of declining lubricant oil sales, India should see healthy growth in 2004 and 2005, according to Gulf Oil, Indias fifth largest lubricant company. Lubricant sales growth will be driven primarily by increases in vehicle populations. Ramesh V. Rao, general manager and executive director of Gulf Oil Corp. Ltd. (India) described Indias evolving lubricants market for the ICIS-LOR World Base Oils Conference here on Feb. 19. With more than a billion people and a gross national ...

A Polish oil refinery is building a new base oil plant that will produce Group II or Group III stocks, beginning late this year or early in 2005. The plant is being built by Rafineria Nafty Glimar S.A., which is being folded into state-owned Lotos Group, one of two large oil companies in Poland. The plant will be located in the existing Glimar refinery complex in the southern city of Gorlice and will be able to produce Group II or Group III oil depending on feedstock, according to Marketing Spec...

Lubrizol Corp. announced last week that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William G. Bares plans to retire from the latter post April 26 and that the companys board of directors will elect President James L. Hambrick to succeed him. A Feb. 26 statement said Bares intends to stay on as board chairman until the end of 2004, and that Hambrick will then be named to that post, too. The plan would complete a transition that began 14 months ago when Hambrick replaced Bares as president. At 62, Bares...