Coming in June 2007, LubesnGreases Europe – Middle East – Africa is a fresh new magazine from the publishers of Lube Report that will focus on lubricants, base stocks, additives and greases in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Designed and printed in Europe, the new magazine will be free to qualified subscribers in more than 120 countries in the regions covered. To subscribe, visit www.LNGEU.com. Tim Sullivan, founding editor of Lube Report, is managing editor of the new magazine...

The U.S. subsidiary of Rotterdam, Netherlands-based chemical distribution company Univar N.V. put the kibosh on a possible bidding war for Chemcentral by agreeing to revised merger terms under which it will acquire 100 percent of Chemcentral shares for $650 million, up $50 million from its initial proposal. The revised terms, announced March 21, also prohibit Chemcentral from soliciting or considering other proposals to acquire it, and require Chemcentral to discontinue any further acquisition d...

OAO LukOil last week entered a supply and technology agreement with Russian automaker OOO Gaz Group. The deal calls for LukOil subsidiary OOO LLK-International to supply automotive lubes for factory fill and industrial lubes Gazs production plants. The arrangement marks the energy giants latest step in a strategy to tie up with original equipment manufacturers. The agreement with Gaz Group is an important step in development of LukOils lubricant business, as it will help expand our product sales...

While Jiffy Lube continues to dominate the next largest fast-lube chain by more than a two-to-one ratio, Wal-Mart, with its 2,342 Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Express stores (not considered traditional fast lubes), has overtaken Jiffy Lube as the largest oil change provider in the nation, according to National Oil & Lube News. Jiffy Lube, which has 2,176 total stores, continues to grow its franchised facility population while gradually divesting its company-owned stores, which are down by nearly...

A fire on March 20 destroyed the bio-based lubricants production facility of Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing Inc. in Plainfield, Iowa. ELM Chairman and co-founder Lou Honary told Lube Report the fire began in heat transfer oilsused in making grease,in the facilitys grease production area. Honary said he had joined a visiting customer in town for lunch and was driving from the restaurant when he saw smoke rising from the production facility. We had a very, very high wind driving straight ...

Capacity at Chevrons Richmond, Calif., base oil plant has been recalculated to a nominal 20,000 barrels per day, according to a report released by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association last week. Including that change, base oil capacity in the United States stood at 221,900 b/d as of Jan. 1, up nearly 10 percent from 202,200 b/d at the beginning of 2006, according to the 2007 Lubricating Oil and Wax Capacities Report. A Chevron official confirmed that the API Group II/Group III pla...