A dormant Egyptian rerefinery and lubricant blending plant could open next year thanks to an influx of capital from a U.S. businessman. The facilities, which belong to Misr Canada Co., are located in Ramadan City, 60 kilometers east of Cairo, and have not operated since they were built four years ago.

Noval International, a real estate company based in Los Angeles, said in August that it had purchased a majority share in one of Misr Canadas parent companies, Egyptian Arab Trading Co. Noval said it planned to bring the rerefinery and blend plant online in approximately six months, an undertaking that will require U.S. $75 million (52 million).

The rerefinery has capacity to produce 25,000 metric tons per year of base oils, while the blend plants capacity is 20,000 t/y. Construction of the facilities was completed four years ago, but they never started up because of changes in political and financial conditions, a Noval representative told Lube Report.

In a written statement, Noval Chairman Victor Noval said his company bought into EATCO partly because of the current wave of change in Egypt.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Noval International to own an oil company, given the current economic and political climate of Egypt, he said. Egypt is a beautiful country and, due to the many changes taking place there, is filled with great opportunities. I am pleased to begin this venture and have high aspirations for the companys future.

Noval said EATCO owns a majority stake in Misr Canada and described that stake as EATCOs key holding. EATCOs other interests include a partnership with Spanish Egyptian Gas Co. and majority ownership in Gulf of Suez Petrochemicals Co., a producer of methanol.

Gulf Oil Plans UAE Expansion

Gulf Oil Middle East announced a 40 million dirham (7.6 million) plan to expand blending capacity at its facility in Dubais Jebel Ali Free Zone from 50,000 t/y to 200,000 t/y. The expansion is driven by strong demand for industrial and automotive lubricants.

The Middle Easts lube oil sector is as robust and dynamic as ever and has continued to support the industrial development in the region, V. Ramesh Rao, general manager and chief executive officer of Gulf Oil Middle East Ltd., said. Gulf Oil commands 8 percent of the regions lube oil market, and we are keen to increase that share by more than 12 percent in the next two years.

The main demand is expected to come from the industrial, energy and marine sectors. Industry analysts project lubricant demand in the Gulf Cooperation Council states to grow at 6 percent a year.

New Life for Polish Refinery

Hudson Oil is developing a plan to reopen the Glimar refinery complex in Gorlice, Poland, including a base oil plant capable of making API Group II and III stocks. The company anticipates completing the work within 10 months.

Located in Gordice, Poland, the Glimar refinery is one of Europes oldest. Previous owners announced plans in 2004 to upgrade the base oil plant at the complex to make Group II and III, and hydroprocessing technology was licensed from Chevron Lummus Global. The refinery sank into bankruptcy the next year, however, and has remained dormant ever since.

Production capacity of the base oil plant is expected to be 50,000 t/y of Group III or 40,000 to 60,000 t/y of Group II. If the plant produces Group III oils, it would be the only such producer in Poland. Hudson, which is based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, stated that Poland will be the main market for the plants production, but neighboring markets such as Germany will not be excluded if there is opportunity.

Intertek Buys Lubricants Testing Business

Intertek acquired Qinetiqs lubricant and fuel analysis and consulting business in the United Kingdom for 500,000 (570,000) in cash. The business employs 18 people and will continue to operate at its current site in Farnborough as part of Interteks chemicals and pharmaceuticals division.

The acquisition expands Interteks capabilities in research and development support for new lubricants, fuels, additive packages and specialist evaluations. Key clients include aerospace, renewable energy and defense industries. Intertek also expects to add incremental sales volumes to its existing fuels and lubricants testing services in the U.K. and overseas.

In other transactions, Intertek closed on purchases of Food Analytical Laboratory Ltd. in Stoke on Trent, U.K., and Recherche, Developpement & Consulting SA of Brussels, Belgium.

Amyris Commissions Farnesene Facility

Amyris, Inc. announced the commissioning of its second industrial-scale facility for the production of Biofene, the companys renewable farnesene. The production facility is located in Leon, Spain, at a facility owned by Antibioticos, S.A. Amyris plans to sell Biofene directly for use in industrial applications or to apply simple chemical finishing steps to Biofene to form a broad range of renewable products including squalane, base oil and finished lubricants and diesel.

The company said it is seeing strong demand for squalane and its renewable diesel, and that this increase in production supports expected near-term commercialization of Amyris base oils. Amyris has five production agreements in place, including contract manufacturing agreements with Antibioticos, Biomin, Paraiso Bioenergia Ltda., Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas, Inc., and a joint venture with Usina Sao Martinho, one of the largest sugar and ethanol producers in Brazil. Amyris has also established chemical finishing capabilities under a production agreement with Glycotech, Inc.

Fuchs Posts Solid Half

Fuchs Petrolub Group reported a 91.6 million net profit for the first six months of 2011, up almost 6 percent from 86.5 million during the same period last year. Mannheim, Germany- headquartered Fuchs posted 828.5 million in sales revenues for the first half of 2011, up 18.2 percent from 700.7 million in the year-earlier period.

All three of Fuchs regions saw increased revenues for the first six months of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010. For 2011s first half, revenue rose 20.7 percent to 510.4 million in Europe, increased 13 percent to 206.1 million in Asia-Pacific and Africa, and jumped up 18.5 percent to 138.1 million in North and South America.

In its outlook, Fuchs cautioned that significantly higher raw material costs, the steps taken by various countries to cool down their overheated markets, as well as the national debt crisis and the risk for banks and other sectors of the economy, have caused growth to slow down and represent appreciable risks for the economic development in the second half of 2011.

Twitter Feed Spotlights DCTs

Lubrizol Corp. announced that Twitter subscribers can now follow DCTfacts. com at Twitter.com/DCTfacts for the latest dual clutch transmission (DCT) news. The feed is shared by Lubrizol and automotive writer and DCT expert Tony Lewin.

The company stated that the Twitter feed will bolster DCTfacts.coms educational mission by delivering real-time news and information to the sites global audience. In addition to expanding on industry issues, it will also facilitate free-flowing conversations designed to advance DCT technology.

Developed by Lubrizol but operated as a nonproprietary, impartial industry information clearinghouse, DCTfacts.com is a resource to educate and advance the DCT industry through shared knowledge.

Bringing DCTfacts.com to Twitter allows us to offer centralized, real-time information to the entire spectrum of engineers, designers, manufacturers and suppliers who want to be on the cutting-edge of this technology, said Paul Pirozzola, Lubrizol global marketing manager. The feed will deliver press releases from car companies, conference and tradeshow updates and information pertaining to DCT designs or advancements.

Eppco Ties to Fast Rent a Car

Eppco Lubricants inked a seven-year supply agreement with Fast Rent a Car in the United Arab Emirates. Eppco, a petroleum products marketing joint venture between Emirates National Oil Co. (Enoc) and Chevrons Caltex, has entered similar agreements with other U.A.E. fleet operators recently. In June it agreed to supply Wataniya Workshops Thrifty and Dollar Rent-A-Car fleets. It announced deals with Emirates Driving Institute in February and with School Transportation Services in Dubai last December.

Fire Socks Kobil

Kobil Zambia lost up to 450 million Kwacha (63,000) worth of lubricants in a fire that gutted one of its warehouses, a Zambian news group reported. A 25 July article in The Post Online said wthe fire broke out two days earlier at Kobils warehouse in the capital city, Lusaka. The article quoted company officials as saying that the blaze burned 39,000 liters of lubricants but caused no injuries. A police spokesman was quoted saying that an electrical fault may have triggered the incident.