Shell Oil Products US notified its U.S. customers last Monday of a general price increase on lubricants of up to 4%, effective May 5, 2014. In an earlier announcement dated March 10, Shell advised it would be increasing the price of Pennzoil Platinum and Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil products by up to 5%, effective June 1, 2014.

Houghton International Inc. has completed its acquisition of Henkel’s North American Steel Mill business. Key product lines included in the transaction are the rolling oils, pickle oils, wet temper fluids and steel mill specific cleaners. In addition, through this acquisition, Houghton has gained vital resources in sales, technology and business development.

Ranking third after the United States and China, India is one of the most important markets. With a GDP of USD 1,825 billion in 2012, India is the third-largest economy in Asia, after China and Japan. Research and consulting firm Kline & Co. projects that the overall lubricant consumption in India will grow at an annual rate of 2.5% over the next five years.

Beginning this month, ExxonMobil will begin converting NASCAR’s 65 fleet-and-service vehicles (and 16 generators) to Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy and Mobil Delvac 1 LE 5W-30. As part of this effort, ExxonMobil has been named an official partner of the NASCAR RACE TO GREEN™ initiative.

US demand for lubricants is forecast to expand less than one percent annually to 2.5 billion gallons in 2018, valued at $27.5 billion. Although demand growth will be modest, this will represent a reversal of a drop in demand between 2008 and 2013. Longer oil change intervals will result from greater use of higher quality, better performing products, such as synthetics.

• HollyFrontier, ExxonMobil, Paulsboro Refining Increase Group I Base Oil Prices Ranging From 10 to 15 CPG
• Calumet, ExxonMobil, Flint Hills Increase Group II Base Oil Prices Ranging From 5 to 20 CPG
• A March 26 Fire at Fiske Brothers’ Toledo, Ohio Lubricants Plant Causes $8.000 Damage
• Italy's Landini To Build Tractor Plant In Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Bharat Petroleum Corp Signs MoU With Indraprastha Gas Ltd. for Marketing of Its Lubricants at CNG Stations of IGL
• BP Appoints New Head of Russian Business
• Senate Panel Advances Biodiesel Tax Incentive