Volume 8 Issue 44

SoCal Softens VOC Regs

Based on industry feedback, Californias South Coast Air Quality Management District last Friday amended its proposed regulation of the volatile organic compound content of metalworking fluids, doubling the allowable VOC to 50 grams per liter and extending the compliance deadlines. Last weeks Lube Report detailed the Los Angeles area regulatory agencys proposed Rule 1144 (see story). The AQMD on Fridaydoubled the allowable VOC limit in the proposed regulationto 50 g/l for general metalworking flu...

China Needs More Machine Tools

Machine tool demand in China is projected to increase 13 percent annually, to 606 billion yuan (U.S. $88.6 billion), from 2007 to 2012, driving demand for metalworking fluids, according to a new study by Freedonia Group. The market research firms study, Machine Tools in China to 2012, found that demand for metal-cutting machine tools are expected to outpace that of other machine tool products. Metal-cutting machine tools, including lathes, milling machines, machining centers, grinding and polis...

Woqod, Shell on Board for Marine Lubes

Qatar Fuel, called Woqod, will provide marine lubricants and technical services to Qatar Gas Transport Co.s fleet of 25 liquefied natural gas carriers, under construction in South Korea. Separately, Woqod becomes Shell Marine Products exclusive marine lubricants dealer in Qatar. Woqod will supply both the initial fill volumes required by shipyards prior to delivery of each vessel to Qatar Gas Transport (known as Nakilat) and the top-up volumes required for operations by the fleet on a global bas...

Report Card for MWF Managers

DEARBORN, Mich. – Nearly 10 years after U.S. industry, government and labor recommended best practices for the metalworking fluid environment, industry is scoring well in some areas, but gets a lot of Ds and Fs from an industry expert for failing to conduct exposure monitoring and medical monitoring. John K. Howell, safety, health and environmental specialist with Houghtons D.A. Stuart division in Warrenville, Ill., issued a report card for U.S. metal removal fluid management at the Metal ...

Nippon Oil Buys ItalSing Stake

Nippon Oil (Asia) Ltd. has acquired a controlling 55 percent stake in Singapore lubricant manufacturing joint venture ItalSing Petroleum Co. Sellers Singapore Petroleum Co. and Eni International each retain 22.5 percent interest in ItalSing, the joint venture they formed in 1993. Singapore Petroleum said it received $8 million Singapore dollars (U.S. $5.3 million) for the shares it sold, 27.5 percent of the company. Neither Rome-based Eni nor Nippon Oil could be reached for comment, and neither...

Sales Up at Valvoline, SK

Financial results for the quarter ending Sept. 30 showed increased sales but decreased operating income at lubricant blender Valvoline, and growth in operating profit for South Korean base oil refiner SK Energys lubricant division, compared to the year-ago quarter. SK also recorded a rise in lubricants revenue for the quarter, in comparison with year-earlier results. Valvoline parent company Ashland said the business reported operating income of $13.1 million for the three months ending Sept. 30...

PAO Comes into Tight Focus

ExxonMobil Chemical yesterday said it expects to resume production of polyalphaolefin at its Beaumont, Texas, plant by the end of this year, welcome news for blenders of premium lubricants. The 82,000 metric ton per year plant, representing more than a third of North American PAO capacity, was shut down as Hurricane Ike approached on Sept. 13 and then was waterlogged when the nearby Neches River flooded its banks. While the loss of output from Beaumont has pinched sorely, shortness in the PAO ma...