Volume 9 Issue 33

Finished Lube Prices Spike
August 19, 2009Numerous major oil companies have informed customers of finished lubricant price increases over the last several weeks, with several citing rising raw material costs as a key factor. Marketers late last year and early this year had expressed concern to Lube Report about majors price decreases not providing sufficient relief or matching price cuts by independents, in light of the then-dropping crude and base oil prices. When crude went down to $35 a gallon, we were not given by the majors their ...

Universal Unveils Rerefinery
August 19, 2009Universal Lubricants on Monday hosted a ceremony to mark the opening of its API Group II rerefinery in Wichita, Kan., local media outlets reported yesterday. The company said major site work commenced on the rerefinery, located adjacent to its company headquarters, in the third quarter of 2008. According to Universals web site, the rerefinery will take used motor oil and output 12 million gallons per year (about 783 barrels per day) of Group II base oil for direct sale or blending into the com...

Maxum Acquires Mid-State Industrial
August 19, 2009Maxum Petroleum recently acquired Mid-State Industrial Lubricants Co., which serves coal mines, coal-related businesses and natural gas companies in West Virginias central Appalachia region. Terms of the transaction, which closed Aug. 7, were not disclosed. Summersville, W. Va.-based Mid-State supplies industrial lubricants and fuels to commercial and industrial customers. Mid-States employees, including president and majority owner Ed Shelton, will continue in their current roles as part of t...

Shell Shuffles Execs
August 19, 2009Lisa Davis – current general manager, business to business, for Shell Lubricants in the United States – will become vice president of Shell Lubricants Americas this month, succeeding Steve Harman, who is departing for a new position as head of Shell Downstream cost leadership in London. Shell Lubricants North America has also named Andrew Hepher as general manager business to business starting Oct. 1, succeeding Davis. Hepher currently serves as vice president, strategy and portfoli...

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report
August 19, 2009Within Europe, the run of cargoes has dried up somewhat this week, and one or two outbound deep-sea routes look a little flat. The Americas are reasonably busy, with most ships finding onwards business. Varied amounts of business in Asia, both locally and back to the West, are causing freights to lift some more. U.S. Gulf of Mexico Freight rates are pegged at unchanged levels this week on most key routes. Contractual volumes account for the bulk of vessel space, making it trickier to locate the...