Volume 6 Issue 32

Hercules, Uniqema Extend Synlube Pact

Hercules Inc. and Uniqema, a subsidiary of ICI Group, have agreed to extend their long-standing synthetic lubricants manufacturing agreement. Hercules will expand its Louisiana, Mo., plant to accommodate the agreement, the companies announced July 31. The agreement covers production of the Emkarate RL synthetic polyol esters that Uniqema sells as lubricants for refrigeration and air conditioning applications in the compressor market. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This is a mutually ...

Chemical Prices Rise

Dow Biocides, Degussa and BASF have recently hiked prices for chemicals used in lubricant manufacturing. Price increases ranged up to 25 percent on some products. Dow Biocides, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co., last month announced a price increase for both list and off-list prices of its entire glutaraldehyde product portfolio of 10 cents per pound in North America and by 10 percent for the rest of the world. The increase is effective Sept. 1. Dow Biocides product trade names for the glutarald...

Explosion Injures Two

Two people were seriously injured by an explosion last week at International Petroleum Co.s lubricant plant in Hammond, Ind. The Aug. 2 accident occurred as lubricating oil was being pumped into a tanker truck. Local officials said they are still trying to determine what triggered the explosion. The [trucks] tank has four sections, and they were filling the first section when it happened, said Diane Brzycki, fire inspector for the Hammond Fire Department. Section three appears to be the one that...

Profits Grow for Fuchs, Quaker, Milacron

The past week brought positive financial reports from three lubricant suppliers, including the worlds leading independent. Fuchs Petrolub AG said net earnings for the first half of 2006 increased 41.8 percent from the same period of last year. Profits also rose at Quaker Chemical and Milacrons Industrial Fluids segment. Fuchs said it earned 44.1 million in the first six months of 2006, compared to 31.1 million during the same period of last year. The English version of the companys announcement ...

The Bottom Line for Total's Cracker Bottoms

A new hydrocracker at Totals Gonfreville, France, oil refinery has potential to produce 500,000 metric tons per year of base oil feedstock beginning next month. It remains to be seen, however, whether that leads to a significant increase in the amount of base oil actually produced in the regions tightened market. The French energy giant announced July 31 that it has begun starting up the first units associated with a distillate hydrocracker and that all units should be commissioned and producing...

Ergon Expansion, New Demand in Store for Pale Oils

Ergon Inc. disclosed yesterday that it plans to expand its naphthenic base oil plant in Vicksburg, Miss., by 7,600 barrels per day in 2008. But the company warned that availability of heavy pale oils will tighten significantly toward the end of this decade, due to looming demand from the tire industry. Other suppliers agreed with Ergons assessment that demand for naphthenics will increase dramatically as tire manufacturers phase out their use of aromatic extracts. The effects have already begun ...