Reported worldwide grease production in 2005 topped 1.9 billion pounds (862 million kilograms), up 1.5 percent from 2004, according to the latest grease production survey released last week by NLGI. Reported production rose smartly in China, Japan, India and the Americas, while it declined in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. According to NLGIs annual production survey for 2005 (reporting global grease production for calendar years 2002 through 2005) the worldwide trend toward ...

Nova Plama refinery, which includes Bulgarias only base oil plant, has been slated for auction at the behest of creditors for the bankrupt facility. The refinerys owners are trying to head off the sale, however, by appealing the May decision that declared it insolvent. An official in the credit department of DZI Bank Plc., Bobi Stoyanov, told Lube Report last week that DZI and Yorset Holding decided to sell the refinerys core assets after determining that liquidators had failed to implement an a...

U.S. companies that export synthetic hydraulic fluids to China may have to think twice about doing so in the future if the federal government adopts a rule drafted by the Bush administration. The Department of Commerce recently proposed new export license requirements aimed at inhibiting the advance of Chinas military. At least one business group criticized the proposal as onerous and ineffective. The draft rules were unveiled July 6 in the form of proposed revisions and clarifications to exist...

2005 was a good year for Castrol Industrial North America,which saysit posted a 7 percent increase in sales revenue in the United States and Canada. This year the lubricant supplier expects to top $200 million in sales revenue, despite scaling back its service to some industries. In fact, the company says this years achievements will in part be due to its decision to be choosier about the types of businesses it serves. Castrol Industrial officials discussed the companys performance and projectio...