Holly Corp. will enter the lubricants market by buying Sunocos Tulsa, Okla., refinery, including its 9,500 barrel per day API Group I base oil plant, for $65 million. Last December, Sunoco told analysts it might convert the 85,000 barrel per day refinery into a terminal in late 2009 if it couldnt find a buyer for it. The transaction announced Thursday is expected to close by June 1, subject to necessary approvals and conditions. Neale Hickerson, Hollys vice president of investor relations, sai...

TUCSON, Ariz. – ILSAC GF-5, the new passenger car engine oil specification slated for completion in December, will put better oils in motorists crankcases. But its development involves tradeoffs between fuel economy and robustness, according to an expert panel, and North America is becoming a much more complicated place to make and sell engine oils. John Robinson of American Refining Group moderated the panel on GF-5 at the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association meeting here last...

Reflecting the exits of Marathon and Citgo from the market last year, base oil capacity in the United States stood at 202,400 barrels per day as of Jan. 1, down 8.2 percent from the start of 2008, according to the 2009 Lubricating Oil and Wax Capacities Report by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association. NPRAs report shows locations, capacities, refinery configurations and ownership for 19 U.S. base oil and wax plants, another five from Canada and two in Latin America. Four rerefiner...

Galaxy Associates on April 10 acquired Challenge Inc., an Indianapolis-based manufacturer of metal finishing and metalworking chemicals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. All order entry and customer service functions now at Challenge will transition to Galaxy Associates Cincinnati headquarters over the next several months. Galaxy and Challenges sales personnel will represent all products and services of both companies. This adds some people, plus some other formulations from Challen...

Demand for chemicals into China has continued at a strong pace, confounding those who declared that demand would dry up in May. Base oil demand too has been forthcoming, with large cargoes to ship from the United States, Europe and India. Some seasoned observers however, whilst welcoming the opportunities that this provides, have been asking themselves how much longer it can continue. What is perhaps significant is that charterers are looking to ship to other Asian countries, such as Korea, Ta...