Castrol announced last Friday a general price increase of up to 4% on all Passenger Car, Commercial and ancillary products, including synthetics, in all package types, effective May 6, 2013. This announcement follows that of Shell Oil Products US (SOPUS) who on March 11 advised it will increase prices by of up to 4% on its lubricants, effective April 15, 2013.

Chevron Oronite recently announced that OLOA® 46600 – a high-performance additive developed specifically for engines operating in landfill, biomass, and digester gas operations – has been officially approved by GE Jenbacher for Type 2, 3, 4 and Type 6 engines operating on landfill gas (class C) or Biogas (class B) using Group II base oil.

Gulf Oil International has announced that, via it's Gulf RAK Oil joint venture, it began producing lube oils and greases at its plant in the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah last week. With Gulf's other two blending plants located in Jebel Ali, near Dubai, this plant will increase Gulf’s annual production capacity in the UAE to more than 150,000 tons.

Russia's leading lubricants producer Gazprom Neft reportedly announced last week that it wants to build a lubricant blending plant with 30,000 ton capacity in Estonia, Latvia or Finland in order to conquer the North European market. Reported as a 30-40 million euro investment, the company is holding talks with three partners for the location.

Albemarle Corporation announced last Monday that it will increase the price of ETHANOX® 4703 on all shipments globally by $0.95/kg effective immediately, or as contracts allow. ETHANOX 4703 is a hindered phenol, aliphatic amine anti-oxidant used in steam turbine oils, R&O oils, hydraulic fluids, industrial gear oils, transformer oils, greases and other industrial oils.

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