LONDON – With preliminary 2008 data in hand, Apu Gosalia of Fuchs Petrolub ventured that global lubricant demand fell by 2 to 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, and 2009 will certainly be down again. But longer term, he said there is still enormous growth potential for lubricants in Brazil, Russia, India, China and the Next 11 emerging countries. Gosalia, head of strategic marketing at Fuchs headquarters in Mannheim, Germany, identified lube industry trends and opportunities at the ICIS World ...

Lubrizol last week signed a consent order with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, agreeing to void a 2007 noncompete agreement with Lockhart Chemical and transferring to Additives International the oxidate assets it had acquired from Lockhart two years ago. According to the FTC, in February 2007 Lubrizol, based in Wickliffe, Ohio, acquired various assets, including oxidate formulas and trademarks, from Lockhart of Gibsonia, Pa., for $15.6 million. The purchase agreement included a noncompete ag...

With the Mar. 31 target for completion of a maintenance turnaround at Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Co. and its 110,000-metric-ton base oil plant slipping again, the Nigerian government said last week that it would no longer put a dime on the rehabilitation of the country’s four refineries. Instead, it called for major deregulation and reform of the downstream oil sector. The refineries, owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., a government agency, are situated in Warri, Portha...

Quaker Chemical eliminated more than 80 positions last quarter and is letting 50 go this quarter, in the face of falling customer demand for metalworking fluids and related services. The companys fourth quarter 2008 net sales dropped 18 percent to $116 million from the year-ago quarter, for a quarterly loss of $2.7 million. President and CEO Michael Barry said, After starting the year with three strong quarters of sales and profits, 2008 finished with disappointing results due to a dramatic fal...

Specialists from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are conducting a special inspection at the Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, Neb., in response to the failure of a pipe that supplies lubricating oil to an emergency diesel generator. The diesel generators supply power to plant safety systems in case of a loss of off-site power during emergencies. Nebraska Public Power District operates the plant. During a monthly surveillance test of the diesel generator Jan. 27, the commission said...

We have noticed a distinct tightening of space on several key trade lanes. Of particular note are those routes from the U.S. Gulf and Northwest Europe into Asia, and we feel that this is having a knock-on effect onto other routes such as transatlantic and several of the inter-Americas services. Taking it one step further, all this additional tonnage ending up in Asia and the Indian Ocean could prompt a rate war on outbound business from Asia. U.S. Gulf of Mexico Locating prompt space in the U....