This month sees the official opening of Nippon Oil Lubricants (America)s blending plant in Childersburg, Ala. – a facility which actually began production Sept. 29, said company President Masaaki Hasegawa. The plant makes engine oils, ATF and shock absorber oils, and supplies them to the Alabama factories of Toyota, Honda and Hyundai. It can produce 38 million liters of lubricants and 800 metric tons of grease per year, and will be dedicated Dec. 5.

Sister company Nippon Oil USA also made its U.S. bow in September, introducing its Eneos motor oils and transmission fluids on the West Coast. Eneos claims to be the No. 1 motor oil in Japan, with a third of that market. In the United States, Eneos will target luxury-car and performance vehicle owners, said Sarah Park, in its sales and marketing office in Chicago. Our prices, about $10 per quart for fully synthetic, will set us apart.

More PAO, Promises Ineos

Ineos Oligomers plans a significant new investment in its global polyalphaolefin business, acquired just last year when it bought Innovene from BP. The Southhampton, U.K., based chemical company said it needs to grow to meet current and future demand for high-performance synthetic lubricants, especially in Europe. Its two PAO plants – located in Feluy, Belgium, and La Porte, Texas, will gain a total of 50,000 metric tons of capacity by 2009, it said. Currently, each plant has 75,000 tons/yr. of capacity, but Ineos did not provide an exact breakdown of the project or its cost. It did say that most of the capacity expansion will take place in Europe.

Quaker Chemical Mulls Expansion

Metalworking and industrial lubricant supplier Quaker Chemical plans to consolidate blending in Detroit and Middletown, Ohio, and may enlarge the latter to become its primary U.S. production facility. A decision on the expansion is expected by the end of the year, a company executive told LubeReport.com, and the work would be completed within 18 months. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Neal Murphy stressed that the decision was not yet final, but said management is weighing a $30 million plan that would expand the Ohio plant from todays 40,000 square feet to 100,000 sq.ft., and increase its workforce from 40 to about 85. If the plan proceeds, the Detroit plant would close.

LukOil Pumping Up Perm

Russias OAO LukOil has completed phase one of an eight-year project to double the capacity of its largest lubricant blending and packaging plant. The 50,000-ton-per-year plant, located in Perm, Russia, recently got a new automated 3,000-ton storage facility. Next up will be installation of blowmolding equipment for plastic containers, new filling lines, a tank farm and a pumping station, all to be commissioned early next year. After that, more blending capacity will be added. Management said the construction will help meet growing demand for LukOils automotive products – and also will help prevent counterfeit products from appearing under its brands. Cost of the project was not disclosed.

China Beckons, Lubrizol Answers

Lubrizol Corp. has opened a laboratory in Shanghai, China, to provide technical service for its industrial lubricant additive customers. China is one of our most dynamic and growing markets, said Derek Phillips, industrial products manager for China, and it presents some unique industrial lubricant issues, such as its material substrates and manufacturing practices. This resource will allow Lubrizol to respond more quickly to customer needs and to recommend formulations that combine its additive packages and components with local raw materials. The new lab will formulate, develop and test metalworking, hydraulic and industrial gear oils and also greases. Heading it is Hong Jing, a chemist with 10 years of petroleum industry experience.

Faces in the News

Swedens Nynas Naphthenics AB, the global maker and marketer of naphthenic base oils, has named Per Dahlstedt head of Nynas Naphthenics. Dahlstedt, a 20-plus-year veteran of the company, replaces Tomas Wallin, who was promoted to senior vice president, business development and supply chain, at parent company Nynas Petroleum.

Ricardo Barreto Muskus in August was named president of Industrias Venoco, one of Venezuelas largest lube manufacturers and its leading maker of greases. Barreto Muskus joined the company as a student 46 years ago and, after receiving his degree in chemical engineering, rose through its ranks. He most recently served as technical director.

John Amdursky has been named director of marketing communications for specialty chemicals at Chemtura Corp., covering its $3 billion global specialty chemicals business. A graduate of Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Amdursky joined the former Crompton in 2001, after working for Eastman Kodak, Dow and ISP.

Christopher Toomey is the new regional vice president of the Functional Products division at Cognis Corp., responsible for managing all business activities including Synlubes Technology, Industrial Coatings, Emulsion Polymerization and other division offerings throughout NAFTA. Toomey had earlier served as business director of synthetic lubricants at the Cincinnati-based Cognis.

Walt Huysman now leads the new Field Services Division at Polaris Laboratories, responsible for customer training, lubrication surveys and assessments, fluid analysis programs and other services at the provider of oil and coolant analysis services. Huysman joined Polaris in 2002.

Troy Corp. has appointed Izzy Colon, Ph.D., as general manager for Europe, responsible for all aspects of its operations there, including profit/loss. Colon joined the supplier of additives and preservatives 12 years ago.

Peter Kashian has joined the lubricants and metalworking group at Monson Companies, Leominster, Ma. He previously was with Cytec Specialty Chemical.

Correction

The news item Lube Market to Inch Ahead in Octobers PlacesnFaces department, page 50, contained an error. It should have said that U.S. lube demand is forecast to reach nearly 2.9 billion gallons in volume at decades end, versus 2.7 billion gallons in 2005. The chart accompanying the item showed the correct figures