Volume 9 Issue 46

GF-5 Is Down to the Wire

The next passenger car engine oil upgrade, ILSAC GF-5, is hurtling towards the homestretch, but there’s still no guarantee that it will cross the finish line without stumbling. The American Petroleum Institute, which would license and enforce the category, has forwarded a proposal from the ILSAC/Oil Committee’s oil marketers to the committee’s auto industry participants, suggesting limits for fuel economy and piston deposits. A thumbs-up from the auto side – if it comes q...

Wax Follows the Money

HOUSTON – The 9.6 billion pound global wax business is complicated, competitive and changing fast, as high-value applications grow and slack wax supply continues to erode, an industry expert reported to the National Petrochemical and Refiners Associations International Lubricants & Waxes Meeting here last week. Fully refined paraffins, used in thousands of different products, move into the highest value markets when supply is tight, said Amy Claxton, principal of consultancy My Energy...

Kost USA to Expand Production

A healthy 2009 has driven lubricants, chemicals and coolants supplier Kost USA to plan an approximately $10 million expansion, moving most of its production into a roomier facility. Kost USA owner and president Tom Overdeck said it is acquiring about 11 acres and one 150,000 square foot building on the former Riemeier Lumber Co. site in the Bond Hill area of Cincinnati. Kost will relocate 30 existing employees from its headquarters in Mason and from its production facility on the Ohio River. Th...

Russia Faces Lubes Slump

MOSCOW – LukOils Maxim Donde outlined gloomy prospects for the short term development of Russias lubricant market, citing impacts from the countrys economic recession, at last weeks fifth International Lubricants conference here. With the Russian economy entering recession due to the fall of crude prices and after financial turmoil developed in Moscow earlier this year – the first since the economic failure in 1998 – industry observers and marketers have become more modest in ...

Lube Oil Explosion Leads to Fines

The United Kingdoms Health and Safety Executive fined a waste oil storage company 125,000 ($207,000) over a 2007 explosion and fire, and prosecuted the companys then director for the incident. The agency charged Eco-Oil Ltd. of Canterbury, Kent, and Ian Malcolm Cross from Milbourne, Wickhambreaux, each with breaching two sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act. According to HSEs Oct. 30 announcement, both pleaded guilty. In addition to the fine, Eco-Oil was ordered to pay costs of 20,000....

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report

European markets have registered an increase in demand both locally and into Asia. U.S. Gulf is busy to Asia, but less so on other key routes. Asian markets continue to be active. U.S. Gulf of Mexico Space on the U.S. Gulf-to-Far East route has virtually all gone for November. Some owners are seeing how they can draft in additional ships onto this service, or free up space in order to meet some of the demand. There have even been ships willing to ballast across from Europe in the hope of ensuri...