Volume 7 Issue 39

Valvoline Inks Another DIFM Deal

On the heels of its agreement with Sears, Valvoline will now be the featured lubricant at U.S. dealerships of Houston-based auto retailer Group 1 Automotive Inc., under a partnership that was made public last week. Valvoline products are now being phased into all of Group 1s dealerships, according to Valvoline spokesman Barry Bronson. Valvoline premium lubricants and transmission fluids will be offered to those who have their cars serviced at the dealerships, he explained. One of the top five ...

Warrenton Oil HQ a Complete Loss

A small electrical fire triggered a blaze inside a storage warehouse last Thursday atWarrenton Oil Co. in Truesdale, Mo., that burned down thelubricant and fuel distributor’s corporate offices and warehouse,and injured two firefighters. At approximately 5:30 a.m. a fire broke out inside the main distribution warehouse that contained storage items for the companys convenience store operations including oils, greases, lubes and paper supplies. Several area fire departments and hazardous mat...

Shell Reopens Argentine Refinery

On Sept. 11, the Argentine Environmental Authority allowed Shell to reopen its Buenos Aires refinery in the Dock Sud district after Shell presented a pollution cleanup program. The refinery includes a paraffinic plant with 1,500 barrels per day of API Group I base oil capacity. On Sept. 5, Argentine officials closed the refinery, citing pollution found in soil samples and alleging that the plant lacked required permits, including one to allow drawing of water from an estuary. The refinery unit...

Warren Claims Win Against Davis, ZXP

Warren Oil Co. last week announced that it won a lawsuit against Edward Davis and two other former employees and their newly formed company, ZXP Technologies, enforcing through next May the noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements the three had signed while working for Warren. Davis said the suit was settled on terms both sides could live with and will have no effect on ZXP. In January 2007, Davis, former vice president of finance at Warren Oil Co., Patric Elders, former president of Warren Uni...

Average Oil Change Tops $31

For the first time, the average price of a standard lube, oil and filter change at a U.S. fast lube has crossed the $30 barrier to more than $31, according to National Oil & Lube News 2007 fast lube operator survey. Average net profit was 13 percent, up from 11.5 percent last year, despite declining car counts. NOLN published its 2007 fast lube operators survey in its September issue, including details on operations, prices, demographics, services, costs, employees, sales, equipment and more...

Reactors Rise in Bradford

American Refining Group last week installed two catalytic reactors at its Bradford, Pa., lubricants and fuels refinery. ARGs $18 million hydrotreater project, under construction since early 2006, is expected to start production in January 2008 with capacity of 3,800 barrels per day. One of the reactors installed last week is dedicated to processing lubricant base stocks, while the other will process diesel and distillate solvents. The two reactors are the key pieces of equipment for the hydrotre...

RAG Renamed Evonik

The grandparent of RohMax Oil Additives adopted a new name last week – Evonik – but officials say that action will have little effect on the lubricant additive supplier. RAG Beteiligungs-AG, parent of Dusseldorf, Germany-based chemical maker Degussa, changed its name to Evonik Industries AG Sept. 12 as part of its preparations to conduct a public stock offering next year. Degussa will serve as the name of Evoniks chemicals business for an undetermined period, and the company will use...