Greater activity in Europe indicates crude oil price hikes had some impact there, while in Asia, regional vessel space for December is becoming quite tight and the transpacific run from the U.S. is the main route buzzing in that market. U.S. Gulf Further fixing has been reported on the route to Asia. It is estimated there is between 15,000 and 20,000 metric tons of remaining space for December loading. However, there is outstanding cargo enquiries for around 50,000-60,000 tons. It is highly like...

Used oil rerefiner Avista Oil is making API Group III base oil at its plant in Peachtree City, Georgia, steadily ratcheting it up to about a quarter of its total base oil capacity now and laying plans to double that in 2017. This makes it the first rerefiner in the world to produce Group III commercially, as well as the sole U.S. producer of Group III on an ongoing basis, according to LubesnGreases magazines Guide to Global Base Oil Refining. Juan Fritschy, CEO of Avista Oil Refining and Trading...

Licensing began last week for the latest engine oil specifications from Europes auto industry – a long-awaited update that significantly raises lubricant performance in several areas. Dec. 1 marked the commercial introduction of the ACEA 2016 Oil Sequences for passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The latest specifications from European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) come four years after the previous upgrade and raise the bar for compatibility with new engine designs, tol...

Gulf Solvents of Saudi Arabia contracted Chemical Engineering Partners to build a 155,000 metric tons per year rerefinery in Hail City to produce API Group II and III base oils. In a joint press release issued Monday, the companies claimed the rerefinery will be the largest in the Middle East and the first in Saudi Arabia capable of making Group II and III stocks. The companies said they will consider building other plants elsewhere in the country. CEP President and CEO Joshua Park said a start ...

Netherlands-based VPS Lubricants will start blending lubricants in Rwanda in the first quarter of 2017. Erik Vermeer, commercial director for VPS International BV, said the plant – with 300 metric tons per year production capacity – is a 50-50 joint venture between VPS and Societe Petroliere of Rwanda. Vermeer told Lube Report on the sidelines of the 5th ICIS African Base Oils and Lubricants Conference last month in Tanzania that VPS is investing in Africa because business there is b...

Quaker Chemical Corp., one of the worlds biggest suppliers of metalworking fluids, purchased Lubricor Inc., a Canadian company offering similar products, for $11.8 million on Nov. 30. Officials from Quaker said they were drawn to Lubricor for its product portfolio, which includes a universal metalworking fluid. Lubricor sells $10 million of product annually, mostly to its North American customers, but also into Southeast Asia via a distributor based in Thailand. In 2015, Quakers annual sales wer...