Firefighters evacuated thousands of workers from nearby office buildings after a gasket failure led to a hydrogen sulfide gas leak on Monday morning at Heartland Petroleums rerefining facility in Columbus, Ohio. Heartland last year opened the new rerefining facility, which hydrotreats used automotive oils and industrial oils to produce an estimated 15 to 20 million gallons annually (about 950 to 1,300 barrels per day) of API Group II+ base oils. The process that separates sulfur from the recycl...

ConocoPhillips Lubricant is placing more of its eggs in the Kendall basket, with a relaunch of the old-line motor oil brand. In addition to being bolstered with Liquid Titanium antiwear agents, the brand is being upholstered in more glamorous packaging, company executives revealed in an interview with Lube Report. They also described a scheme to rapidly boost market penetration by giving all ConocoPhillips marketers access to a slate of premium Kendall offerings. Since Conoco and Phillips Petro...

Caltex Australia on Thursday said it will close its base oil refinery at Kurnell in Sydney to cut costs and improve efficiency. The 3,300 barrels per day API Group I plant is the last one in Australia. The Chevron subsidiary stated the Kurnell refinery is not viable going forward due to the fact that the plant manufactures outmoded lubricant products and faces declining feedstock sources. A decision has been made to close [the refinery] with further detailed work to be done to determine a preci...

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – On Jan. 1 the European Commission directive banning distillate aromatic extracts in tires takes effect, creating a huge demand worldwide for heavy naphthenics that could put pressure on traditional lubricant applications and on crude supplies, an Ergon executive said. Jimmy Rasco, Ergon Refinings vice president for global base oils technology, reviewed the future of naphthenic crude and naphthenic applications at the ICIS Pan-American Base Oils & Lubricants confer...

An oil pump defect has led to a recall of passenger vehicles in China by a Ford joint venture, while a flaw in an engine casing that could lead to a dangerous oil leak has resulted in a motorcycle recall by Kawasaki in the United States. Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co. is recalling 11,112 Volvo S40 sedans because of a faulty oil pump pipe. Chinas General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine made the announcement Thursday on its web site and began the recall Friday....

Azelis Group will distribute Petro-Canadas white oil products to personal care and pharmaceutical sectors throughout Europe under an agreement announced last week. Promotion, supply and distribution of the Puretol packaged product will be based out of Azelis Groups facility and laboratory Kraemer and Martin in Germany. The facility includes warehouses with climate and hazard controlled areas. Quality testing is complimented by a sampling service center. This partnership is extremely positive f...

Oxea increased prices for a variety of carboxylic acids and polyalcohols used in lubricants, while Dow raised praises on oxygenated solvents. Oberhausen, Germany-based Oxea on Thursday said it would up list and off-list prices on five types of carboxylic acids by 3 to 10 cents per pound in the Americas, and by $75 to $200 per metric ton in Asia, effective Jan. 1 or as contracts allow. In Europe, Oxea said it will increase list and off-list prices effective Jan. 1 or as contracts allow on two t...

European markets have flattened, rather too early for many ship owners. The pace has eased in the U.S. Gulf too, but most of the remaining December ships should find employment. Asia is busy across all routes. U.S. Gulf of Mexico A handful of ships are open prompt in the U.S. Gulf for any direction, and each of the major routes can muster some space still for loading in December. Therefore, the U.S. Gulf market is not as tight as perhaps it could be. That said, the amount of open space is not...