Calumet last Tuesday announced that it acquired New Jersey-based lubricants manufacturer Bel-Ray. Within the past two years, Calumet has acquired Porter, TX-based Royal Purple, the polyol/ester-based synlubes business from Hercules Inc., Shreveport, Louisiana-based TruSouth Oil and now Bel-Ray.

Contrary to Shell's announcement last week that they have decided to shelve their GTL facility in Louisiana, Sasol continues its plan to build a gas-to-liquids facility in Louisiana. The estimated project cost of Sasol's planned GTL facility is between US$11 billion and US$14 billion.

A new study of 1,000 UK drivers* conducted on behalf of Mobil 1 engine oil has revealed that almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents admitted to buying engine oil on price alone. The same number again (64.9%) said the oil hadn’t been changed in their car in the last 12 months, and a further 29% didn’t know whether it had or not.

German lubricant manufacturer ROWE MINERALÖLWERK GMBH announced last Friday that it is opening its new doors in Worms in a relocation from Bubenheim. This will enable ROWE MINERALÖLWERK GMBH to produce up to 120,000 tons per year of “HIGH-TECH products MADE IN GERMANY” in Worms starting from 2014.

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has agreed to acquire Terex Equipment Ltd., a manufacturer of off-highway rigid and articulated trucks, from Terex Corp. Volvo CE will pay approximately $160 million for the unit, which includes the main production facility in Motherwell, Scotland and other related assets.

• Oman Oil Company Successfully Concluded Acquisition of Oxea
• Nexeo Solutions Announces Successful Completion of Lubricants Blender CSD, Inc. Acquisition
• Chevron Corp's Planned 2014 Capital Spending Includes Expanding Oronite Additives Production in Singapore
• RelaDyne Revamps Its Virtual Image
• Peru's Government to Introduce a Bill to Privatize up to 49% of State Oil Company Petroperu
• Oxea Announces Price Increase for Polyols
• Oxea Announces Price Increase for Carboxylic Acids