Space out of the U.S. Gulf remains snug in most directions, and Asia is looking pretty tight for the next few weeks as well. Europe, however, is on the cusp of change, and rates are starting to waiver. Americas U.S. Gulf-to-Europe rates have crept up even further over the course of the week. For example, a 5,000-ton cargo of styrene from the U.S. Gulf to Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam fixed at $70 per metric ton, and 5,500 tons of phenol and acetone fetched $95/t. Base oils in the amount of 3,000-4...

The base oil capacity on Jan. 1 in the United States was 237,800 barrels per day, down from 241,500 b/d a year earlier, according to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers 2015 Lubricating Oil and Wax Capacities Report. The drop of 3,700 b/d of the total capacity was solely due to changes at a Calumet Specialty Products plant, said the report, which was released last week. Since the reporting deadline for the document, U.S. capacity has increased due to an expansion at ExxonMobils ...

Specialty chemicals supplier Soltex announced yesterday the purchase of Petroleum Chemicals, an acquisition made to help Soltex expand into the lubricant additives market. Houston-based Soltex is largely a marketer of specialty base stocks and also supplies some lubricant additives. This acquisition positions us for strong growth in lubricant additive sales, Soltex Vice President for Commercial Glenn Bohny told Lube Report. Were already into metalworking [fluid additives], but Petroleum Chemical...

Lukoil produced 973,000 metric tons of base oils last year, down about 7 percent from 1.05 million tons in 2013, while its finished lubricant production increased 20 percent to 121,000 tons. The Russian oil major accounted for 45 percent of the countrys combined production of base oils and lubricants, according to the companys annual report. Last year, Lukoil produced 121,000 tons of finished lubricants at its blending plants in Russias Tyumen Oblast, as well as its locations in Finland, Romania...

Some – but not all – lubricant blenders in East Africa are increasing finished product prices this month based on fluctuating currency exchange rates and rising costs of packaging materials, industry sources told Lube Report. The instability of local currencies, which affects feedstock importation, is a primary reason for the price hike, according to Irfan Khan, general manager for General Petroleum Ltd. The Dar es Salaam, Tanzania-based branch of the German company informed customer...

The average age of light vehicles in the United States has increased from 9.6 years in 2002 to 11.4 years for 2014, according to data in a new report jointly published by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association and the Auto Care Association. However, it may be near a peak, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association noted about the forecast model. While light vehicles 12 years and older are predicted to increase 25 percent, those aged 5 to 11 years old will decline by 21 percent as...