U.S. sales of lubricants, greases and process oils fell just shy of 2.45 billion gallons in 2006, according to data released yesterday by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association. The trade groups annual Report on U.S. Lubricating Oil and Wax Sales shows that automotive lubricants – consistently the largest slice of the market – were 56.1 percent of the total volume sold, with industrial lubricants accounting for 21.2 percent, and process oils for 18.1 percent. Metalworkin...

A fire Monday involving totes and drums of solvents at the Des Moines, Iowa, area plant of industrial chemicals distributor Barton Solvents forced temporary evacuation of a nearby business and closure of an Interstate before firefighters from 10 local departments brought the blaze under control. This is the second fire Barton has battled this year. In July, a fire at the companys Valley Center, Kan. plant forced evacuation of a surrounding rural town and resulted in the loss of 235,000 gallons ...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Iranian refiners have planned what could become the first two Group II and Group III base oil plants in the Middle East, an official from Behran Oil Co. told an audience at an industry conference here last week. The projects are stalled for the time being, though, due to economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries. The comments offered evidence of the drag that political tensions are exerting on the regions biggest lubricant market. B...

Financial results for the quarter and year ending Sept. 30 saw a rise in operating income at lubricant blender Valvoline, with a big boost from Valvoline Instant Oil Change. Meanwhile, the lubricant division of South Korean base oil refiner SK Energy saw a decline in operating profit for the quarter. Valvoline parent company Ashland said the lube blender reported operating income of $17.9 million for the three months ending Sept. 30 – the fourth quarter of Ashlands fiscal year – up ...

Lubrizols Lubricant Additives segment posted a 37 percent increase, and Afton Chemical a 27 percent increase in operating income for the quarter ending Sept. 30, compared to the year-earlier period. Lubrizols Lubricant Additives segment on Friday reported operating income of $97 million in the quarter, up sharply from $70.6 million in the same period last year. Revenues for the Lubricant Additives segment totaled $739 million for the quarter, up 12 percent from $661.3 million in the year-earlie...

Singaporean environmental services provider Hyflux Ltd. recently announced two separate agreements to form joint ventures that will build used-oil recycling plants in Vietnam and in the Philippines. Each joint venture is subject to approval by governmental authorities, and Hyflux did not announce expected completion dates for the plants. Each plant will use Hyfluxs membrane-based recycling technology and is expected to have capacity to process and recycle up to 12,000 metric tons of used oil pe...

A rupture in a pressurized lubricating oil tank caused an oil spill at the Ormat geothermal plant in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 17. No fire or injuries were reported. An estimated 1,000 to 1,500 gallons of lubricating oil was spilled after the noon time rupture occurred with a loud sound, similar to that of an explosion. The turbine lube oil is a hydraulic that lubricates the turbines in our geothermal operations, Randy Peterson, general manager of Ormats Northern Nevada operations, told Lube Report. ...