Texas Petrochemicals Inc. on Monday announced plans for an expansion that will more than double its capacity to make polyisobutylene at its plant in Houston. Officials said the project is driven primarily by increased demand for highly reactive PIBs used as dispersants in lubricants and fuel additives. There is significant demand for highly reactive PIB for both fuel and lube additives, Vice President of Specialty Polymers and New Business Development Sandra Davis said. In addition, TPI has a st...

Naphthenic base oil supplier Cross Refining and Marketing Inc. said Friday that it has been acquired by Martin Resource Management Corp., a transporter and supplier of oil products and chemicals. The transaction marks the second change in five weeks to the make-up of the U.S. pale oil market. Terms of the Martin-Cross deal were not disclosed. Martin officials told Lube Report that acquiring Cross was a logical and opportune extension of their business. Weve been actively involved in [refined pro...

Diversified container maker Greif Inc. purchased lubricant compounder and packager Delta Petroleum Co. last week from an investment firm. The transaction marries two companies that have been on acquisition bents in recent years. It also constitutes a rare venture by a packaging manufacturer into lube blending. Delta was sold by Riverside Co., but neither it nor Greif disclosed terms of the deal. Greif, which is based in Delaware, Ohio, said it was attracted by the opportunity to enter the contra...

Lubrizol Corp. said Monday that production of phenate detergents at its lubricant additive plant in LeHavre, France, has been temporarily halted by discovery of metal fatigue in a boiler tube. Officials said the incident will cause delays in deliveries of some additive packages but that it plans to replace the equipment and resume normal operations by mid-October. In the overall scheme of our supply chain, this is not a terribly big disruption,Dan Sheets, vice president of sales for Lubrizol Add...

In a major shake-up of the worlds second-largest lubricant market, Royal Dutch Shell plc announced Friday that one of its subsidiarieshas acquired a 75 percent stake in Beijing Tongyi Petroleum Chemical Co., marketer of Monarch-branded lubricants and the largest independent lube supplier in China. Shell officials hailed the deal as a step that significantly boosts its position and prospects in a market that is becoming increasingly important. China is the fastest growing consumer lubricants mark...