Volume 7 Issue 16

Another LukOil Tie-up

OAO LukOil announced last week that it has entered a cooperation agreement to supply lubricants to Russian truck manufacturer OAO Kamaz, the latest notch for the oil giants new strategy of tying up with original equipment manufacturers. LukOil now has similar arrangements with four manufacturers, all signed within the past 10 months. A spokesman said it should not be the last. We are definitely developing agreements with other manufacturers here [in Russia], said TeimurAkhundov, vice director of...

Q2 Sales, Profit Shine at WD-40

WD-40 Co. on Thursday reported its net sales for its second quarter, ended Feb. 28, reached $79.3 million, an 11 percent increase over 2006s second quarter, while net income rose 23.6 percent, to $8.9 million, compared to the year-earlier period. Earnings per share were 52 cents in the first quarter, compared to 43 cents per share in the same quarter a year ago, an increase of 21 percent. Cost of goods during the first quarter was 50.8 percent of sales, compared to 52 percent in the second quart...

Lube Distributor Goes Solar

Lubricants and fuels distributor Van De Pol Enterprises Inc.,of Stockton, Calif., on Thursday held a dedication ceremony at its company headquarters for its 132-kilowatt solar electric system, which will save $45,000 to $55,000 per year and will pay for itself within seven years. Van De Pol Enterprises supplies lubricants for a wide variety of industries throughout northern California via three distribution centers, specializing in trucking, agricultural, heavy construction and food-processing p...

Chemtura Restructures, Cuts Workforce

Chemtura on April 4 announced a major restructuring, reducing from six business units to four, and cutting its global workforce by 620 positions. Robert Wedinger heads the new Performance Specialties group, including petroleum additives and lubricants. Chemtura supplies a wide range of petroleum additive components and base stocks to the lubricants industry, claiming to account for 12 percent of the former worldwide. Based in Middlebury, Conn., Chemtura’s additives for the lubricants indus...

CNOOC to Open Two Pale Oil Plants

Chinas third national oil company is preparing to open its first base oil plant, and it is already planning its second. China National Offshore Oil Company, commonly known as CNOOC, told Lube Report last week that it is scheduled to open a naphthenic base oil plant in June at an existing refinery, CNOOC Bitumen, in Binzhou, in the coastal province of Shandong. The plants capacity will be 300,000 metric tons per year (5,750 barrels per day), according to Sun Yuanbi, who added that the output will...

Ford Extends Oil Change Intervals

Ford Motor Co.has extended its recommended engine oil change intervals from 5,000 miles to 7,500 miles under normal use for select new 2007 models, and for all new or redesigned models for 2008. Pete Misangyi, Fords fuels and lubricants engineering supervisor, told Lube Report the change was due to improved engine oils and improved engines – a combination of those two. The company conducted fleet and lab tests with newer engine oils before increasing the change interval. Ford had lowered t...