SK Corp. will build a Group III base oil plant with Indonesias national oil company, Pertamina. The $175 million plant, confirmed in late April, will be able to make 7,250 barrels per day and is due to stream during the first half of 2008. It will be located at a Pertamina refinery in Dumai, on the central northern coast of Sumatra, and the two partners are to share equally in its cost and ownership.

Faces in the News

RohMax Oil Additives has named Steve Tillery its new regional customer relations manager, North America. He brings more than 20 years experience in the lubricant additives business to the position, and most recently headed RohMaxs process research and development activities. The company also named Aidan Rose global key account manager, responsible for major co-manufacturer relationships. Rose most recently was new business development manager at RohMax.

Lube industry veteran and consultant Daniel McCoy has been elected 2006-07 president of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. McCoy, who took office during the groups meeting last month, has over 30 years of experience, including with LTV Steel and Lubrizol Corp., and currently works with the latters K2M online education programs.

Synthetic base stock supplier Uniqema has promoted Richard Pino to sales development manager, Americas, for its lubricants and oilfield chemicals business, and Bruce Calvert has been named sales manager for the business.

Sara Logue has joined Sonneborn, the supplier of white oils and specialty products, as account manager for the Gulf Coast region. Based in Houston, she formerly was with Nynas USA.

Glenn Mazzamaro, formerly of Ciba Specialty Chemicals, has joined R.T. Vanderbilt Co. in Norwalk, Conn., as global industry/OEM liaison manager. He will be responsible for raising Vanderbilts profile in automotive lubricants, and that of its molybdenum chemistries for improving fuel economy and drain intervals.

Blue Bell, Pa., based Acme-Hardesty Co. has named Cynthia A. Cox as president. Cox has 25 years of chemical industry experience, including with Brenntag and HCI; she most recently founded and operated Indigm, a chemical trading, brokerage and distribution business.

John Stoffa of International Petroleum Products and Additives Co. passed away suddenly May 2. We will truly miss John, IPACs Steven Plitt noted. He was not only a coworker, customer or supplier to many of us but a valued friend. Stoffa was the companys technical director.

Amalie Dons Wolfs Head

Tampa, Fla.-based Amalie Oil Co. has purchased the U.S. rights to the 127-year-old Wolfs Head brand from SOPUS Products, the Shell lubricants business unit. Terms were not disclosed, but an Amalie official said the Wolfs Head business is composed almost entirely of motor oils for passenger cars and heavy duty trucks, and most sales are concentrated in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. SOPUS said Wolfs Head was not a strategic fit with its other brands, which include Pennzoil, Quaker State, Rotella and others.

Chattem Buys Dow Unit

Chattem Chemicals Inc. has purchased the Hamposyl line of specialty surfactants from Hampshire Chemical, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical. Production of the surfactants will move from Nashua, N.H., to Chattems own manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. Sales and Marketing Manager Art Pavlidis, also moving to Chattem as part of the transaction, noted that the surfactants are suited to use in lubricants and greases because of their lubricity and corrosion inhibition properties. Chattem, a subsidiary of Elcat Inc., did not disclose terms of the deal.

Calumet to Boost Shreveport Capacity

Calumet Specialty Products Partners LP is broadening the scope of a previously announced expansion planned for its Shreveport, La., refinery, and will increase base oil capacity there by approximately 6,000 barrels per day next year. Shreveport is one of two base oil refineries operated by Calumet, with current capacity to make 9,100 b/d, including 6,000 b/d of Group II and 3,000 b/d of Group I paraffinics.

In February, the Indianapolis-based company said that it planned a series of improvements at the refinery. Under its new, accelerated plan, several units will be installed and overall crude input for the refinery will grow by 16,000 b/d, to 57,000 b/d. The project will be weighted toward base oil production, said Vice President of Investor Relations Jennifer Straumins, and total investment over the next two years will reach $110 million.

Pinnacle Plants Texan Flag

Indianapolis-based Pinnacle Oil has formed Golden Triangle Lubricant Services, a subsidiary to operate the former Sun Oil lubricant blending plant in Nederland, Texas. The plant, which is being modernized to incorporate Pinnacles proprietary batch blending and quality control system, initially will focus on terminal and blending services, plus drumming and lab services for customers. Harji Gill, vice president of Pinnacle, was named president and chief operating officer for the new subsidiary. He noted that the plant is centrally located near the ports of Houston and New Orleans. Our goal is to be a super hub for marine lubricants, Gill said.