Graham Packaging Co. plans to close its Levittown, Pa., plant, which manufactures HDPE containers for motor oils, on July 20. The company will lay off 45 employees as a result of the closing. The decision to close was based on the fact the customers served by that plant had changed their filling locations, Graham spokesman Don Sarvey told Lube Report. So other plants in the Graham network more easily service their needs. For competitive reasons, Sarvey said, the company doesnt disclose what cus...

Arizona Chemical will permanently close its Port St. Joe, Fla., tall oil plant in July, citing the global economic downturns continued impacts on customer orders. The company on Thursday said it will transfer the plants production to its refineries in Panama City, Fla., and Savannah, Ga. Arizona Chemical said it will provide severance and outplacement assistance to the 77 Port St. Joe plant employees. This decision is not a reflection of the team members at the Port St. Joe plant, said Kees Ve...

Nigeria has jettisoned its plan to ban the importation of aviation lubricants into the country, realizing that the country’s aviation lubricants market is too small to justify new blending plants dedicated to that sector. The country’s aviation industry will therefore have to continue with imports from Europe as none of the 33 registered lubricants blenders in Nigeria blends aviation lubricants at the moment. Authorities in Nigeria had tinkered with the idea of the ban as a way of ...

ORLANDO, Fla. – David Scheetz, president of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers for 2009-2010, sees opportunities to grow STLEs membership, young and old, and broaden the associations appeal. Elected STLE president at the societys annual meeting here last week, Scheetz is a senior equipment builder engineer for ExxonMobil Lubricants and Petroleum Specialties Co. in Aurora, Ill. He calls on industrial OEMs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. In an exc...

McHenry County, Ill., officials last week filed a lawsuit against lubricant and grease manufacturer Chemtool, alleging that a failing septic system is leaking sewage and other contaminants into the soil surrounding its 58-acre corporate headquarters in Crystal Lake, Ill. McHenry County Circuit Court Judge Maureen McIntyre on May 19 denied the countys request for an emergency restraining order against Chemtool, but did schedule a June 9 hearing on the legal request. Assistant McHenry County Stat...

Emery Oleochemicals is the new brand and company name for the fifty-fifty oleochemicals joint venture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between PTT Chemical International Private Ltd. and Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd. Cognis sold its 50 percent stake in the joint venture – formerly known as Cognis Oleochemicals – for 104 million (U.S. $162 million at the time) to PTT last July, completing the transaction in November. PTT is a Singapore-based subsidiary of PTT Chemical Public Co. Ltd., a B...

Even with the extended holiday weekend, European and Baltic markets saw enquiries over the past week, an encouraging sign. Elsewhere, the oversupply of tonnage continues to drag rates down in Asia, India and the Middle East Gulf. The United States remains snug on space, with stable rates, though with bunkers seeing some recent increases, this bears watching. U.S. Gulf of Mexico Space is generally seen as tight regardless of trade lane, with the U.S. Gulf-to-Asia and U.S. Gulf-to-Europe routes c...