Lubes'n'Greases

Lukoil’s refinery in Volgograd, Russia, site of a major lubricant manufacturing complex, was struck last weekend by a drone purportedly launched by the armed forces of Ukraine. bit.ly/42vTl5w

Hongrun Petrochemical Technology Co. has commissioned a white oil project that includes an API Group III plant at its oil refinery in Weifang, Shandong province, China. bit.ly/3Up23AF

India’s state-owned oil marketing company Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. has hired a consultant to advise on a spin-off of its lubricants business to unlock its value. bit.ly/3vPMo2Z

The United States last month gave regulators new authority to target domestic and international institutions involved in evading bans on exports to Russia of a range of products including turbine oils and turbine oil additives. bit.ly/48UczV2

Uzbekistan’s refiner and base oil marketer Saneg revamped API Group I base oil production at its Fergana refinery with catalysts provided by the Danish engineering company Topsoe, the company told Lube Report Tuesday. bit.ly/3SruUmd

Sales of new passenger cars in Russia rebounded by 69% in 2023 to 1.1 million units, boosted by a hefty uptake of Chinese models, the Moscow-based analytical agency Autostat reported Jan. 11. bit.ly/47HADss

Eastern Lubricants Blenders Ltd. reported a steep drop in net profit and an operating loss on a slight decline in sales for the quarter ending Dec. 31, which is the second quarter of its fiscal year. bit.ly/3u33EkD

Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. and the owner of Refineria Isla have reached an agreement resolving a debt dispute and re-establishing commercial relations – raising the possibility that the Caribbean’s only base oil plant may reopen. bit.ly/41X14ta

Russia – the largest country in the world, spanning two continents and 11 time zones – consumes a range of motor oil viscosity grades, although 5W multigrades are the most popular, according to a market survey conducted by Moscow-based consultancy B2X. bit.ly/4aV2JmY

MUMBAI – India’s total base oil production capacity is set to jump in the next few years due to expansions by state-owned oil companies, a Hindustan Petroleum official said at an industry event held here last month. bit.ly/48mxWOn

Lukoil’s lubricant arm intends to build two production facilities at its refining complex in Volgograd, Russia – one to make lubricant additives and the second to produce greases and metalworking fluids. bit.ly/3LUgcAD

North America accounted for 24% of global lubricants demand in 2022, with nearly half of its share coming from an industrial segment that shows potential for growth. bit.ly/3PwHUUY

The American Petroleum Institute adopted SAE 0W-8 and 0W-12 viscosity grades into service category API SP, extending the bottom range of potential vis grades for North America’s newest passenger car motor oil specification. bit.ly/3PWGjJG

Richful Lube Additives Co. reported a 71% surge in net profit for the first half of 2023, while lubricant marketer Lopal Tech Co. posted a 4% increase in sales revenue for its lubricants segment for the same period. bit.ly/48sZQJ0

Saudi Aramco is entering the South American lubricants market after fully acquiring Chilean blender, distributor and retailer Esmax Distribusción SpA. The acquisition is the company’s first downstream retail investment within the continent. bit.ly/453NgNl

The push to halt climate change is causing the shipping industry to shift to new types of fuels, and industry stakeholders should collaborate to determine the performance needs for the next generation of cylinder oils. bit.ly/3PLo7m8

Fuchs Group opened a 20,000 metric tons per year lubricants blending plant in Vietnam to serve growing demand in the region and to speed its response to local market demands. bit.ly/3PeR3Bq

XI’AN, China – As competition ramps up for business with original equipment manufacturers, Chinese lubricant companies are working to differentiate themselves while also looking for other types of clients. bit.ly/45K6oBi

Independent lubricant manufacturer Fuchs Petrolub bought out its partner in a joint venture distributorship in Chile, the company announced this week. bit.ly/3Lgtbwp

Japanese specialty lubricant manufacturer Moresco Corp. expanded its die casting lubricant market and production capabilities with the acquisition of Michigan-based Cross Technologies Group for an estimated $8.8 million. bit.ly/3LabpdW