SHANGHAI – Independent lubricant blenders throughout much of Asia will likely be forced out of business in coming years due to inability to obtain base stocks, an industry consultant warned this month. Harland Bulow of Tri.Zen International told the 10th Annual Fuels& Lubes Asia Conferencehere on March 5 that more and more blenders will find themselves scrambling for their main ingredient, despite the fact that base oil capacity in Asia is significantly greater than demand and looks t...

Ethyl Corp.s board of directors has asked shareholders to approve a holding company structure. Ethyl would become a wholly owned subsidiary of the new holding company, NewMarket Corp. A spokesman said the move would allow Ethyl to better manage its two main operations and would lead to a new name for its lubricant additives business. Sales of petroleum additives for lubricants and fuels account for more than 90 percent of Ethyls revenue. The company reports much less revenue but earns significa...

Royal Purple is tickled pink now that it has a corner – in the lubes market, at least – on the companys namesake color. Synthetic lubricant supplier Royal Purple Ltd. announced March 5 that it has received a U.S. trademark giving it exclusive rights to package lubricants in purple containers. Company officials said they were very pleased to obtain the trademark, describing it as an effective means to keep their products well-recognized. This national trademark assures that Royal Purp...