Shell Completes LAO Expansion
Shell Chemical LPcompleted an expansion that increased linear alpha olefin capacity at its Geismar, Louisiana, petrochemical refinery by 425,000 metric tons per year. Production began in December.
With the addition of its fourth production line, the facility has a total LAO capacity of over 1.3 million t/y. [The] successful completion of [this] major expansion project makes Shells Geismar chemicals manufacturing site the largest producer of alpha olefins in the world, the company said in a press release.
LAOs are the building blocks for polyalphaolefins, which are used as synthetic base stocks and chemical additives in the making of lubricants. Roughly 90 percent of all PAO supply is held by four players: ExxonMobil,Ineos, Chevron Phillips Chemical andLanxess.
ACEA 2018 Adoption Delayed
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association has delayed approval of its ACEA 2018 Oil Sequences because of work that still needs to be done on engine tests developed by the groups counterparts in North America.
In November, the International Lubricants Standardization and Advisory Committee and theAmerican Petroleum Instituteadvised ACEA and other European organizations that they were still working on the tests and urged them not to approve the 2018 sequences before they finished. Observers have speculated that work could last at least until the second half of 2019.
Industry committees have completed initial development of most of those tests, but work remains on one, and the industry still needs to demonstrate that formulated products can pass all tests before locking in final details, including pass-fail limits on tests.
Hengli Starts Group II/III Plant
Hengli Petrochemical Co. started production of a Northeast China refinery that includes a 540,000-metric-ton-per-year API Group II and III base oil plant.
Located on Changxing Island off the industrial seaport of Dalian, Henglis overall refinery is one of Chinas largest.The base oil plant has capacity to make 350,000 t/y of Group III and 190,000 t/y of Group II.
EU Modifies Lubes Ecolabel Standard
The European Unions revised Ecolabel standard for lubricants, which took effect in early November, provides eight new criteria that incorporate functionality instead of composition.
Under the updated 2018/381/EU regulation, the first criterion stipulates excluded or limited substances that are hazardous, mutagenic, carcinogenic or reproductively toxic. The second criterion lists additional aquatic toxicity requirements, while the third and fourth criteria deal with biodegradability and bioaccumulative potential as well as renewable ingredient requirements.
The fifth, sixth and seventh criteria encompass packaging requirements, minimum technical performance and consumer information requirements regarding use and disposal, while the eighth deals with the information appearing on the EU Ecolabel.
A transition period will last until Dec. 31, and the new criteria will remain valid through Dec. 31, 2024.
STLE Philadelphia Hosts MWF Course
The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Philadelphia section is holding a metalworking fluid management course March 5-7 at the Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport. The course will provide an overview of topics related to metalworking fluids, including operation, chemistry, contamination control, toxicology and condition monitoring, among others. The registration deadline is Feb. 26 at www.stle.org.
Briefly Noted
Renewable Lubricants Inc.formed a wholly owned subsidiary based in Ontario, Canada. The subsidiary will service the countrys emerging biobased lubricants market.
Lukoil opened a Morocco subsidiary, registered as Lukoil Lubricants Africa S.A.R.I., and contracted a blending plant there for its West and North African finished product operations.
Denver, Colorado-based West Direct Oil Co. signed an agreement to acquire the Southwest U.S. commercial business assets of Southern Counties Oil Co., headquartered in Orange, California, to supply Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada.
Ineos Enterprisescompleted its acquisition of the chemical intermediates business of Flint Hills Resources, including an intermediates production facility near Chicago, Illinois.
Faces in the News
Lubricant data collection company Olyslager hired Sander Scholten as managing director of Olyslager North America.
Mandi McElwain joined Univar as application development specialist for the companys Industrial Specialties – Lubricants & Metalworking Fluids division. She previously worked as a technical manager at Hangsterfers Laboratories.
Pilot Chemical Co. named Hans Hummel business line manager at its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
John Rastoka joined Acme-Hardesty as regional sales manager for the western region of the companys oleochemicals business unit.
Greg Shank
Gregory Lynn Greg Shank, who was a key figure in the development of oil specifications for heavy-duty diesel engine oils, died Dec. 23 at the age of 69. He was employed at Volvo Group Trucks Technology in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he held roles including executive staff engineer and manager of fluids technology. Along with Jim McGeehan, formerly of Chevron, and the late Pat Fetterman of Infineum, Shank contributed to the development of heavy-duty specs for trucks, including API CF-4 in 1992 all the way to the current API CK-4 and FA-4 specifications. Read more at www.lubesngreases.com/
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