Last Friday, Chevron became the first major finished lubricant supplier to announce a price decrease since lube base oil and crude oil prices began their 2014 drop. Chevron announced a general posted price decrease for its lubricants, gear oils and greases by up to 3.5% for most SKU's, effective February 6, 2015.

Clean Harbors last Thursday announced that its Safety-Kleen subsidiary is revising its rate structure for its purchase of used engine and industrial oils. Effective immediately, Safety-Kleen is eliminating its current pay-for-oil (PFO) program and replacing it with either a Zero-Pay or Charge-for-Oil rate structure, applicable to all U.S. and Canadian used oil generators.

Nynas recently inaugurated its new Singapore logistics hub, which will increase availability and shorten delivery times of naphthenic specialty oils from six weeks to two weeks for Asia-Pacific customers in Shanghai, Indonesia, Thailand and other nearby countries. Nynas now has three hubs around the globe, Singapore, Antwerp and Houston.

Wilmerding, PA-based Allegheny Petroleum Products has opened a blending plant in Angleton, TX. This new blending plant has production capacity of 3 million to 4 million gallons per year, primarily fuel additives, expected to reach 7 million to 8 million gallons per year by the end of 2015. Eventually the Houston plant will blend a full line of automotive and industrial lubricants.

Last week, several paraffinic base oil refiners, including Calumet, Chevron, HollyFrontier, Motiva Enterprises, and Phillips 66 began another round of price decreases, announcing reductions typically in the 50 cents per gallon area. For many, it was their fifth price reduction since mid-August. Naphthenic oil refiner San Joaquin Refining also announced a price reduction of 20 cpg.

• San Joaquin Refining Decreases Naphthenic Base Oil and Other Specialty Oil Prices by 20 CPG, Effective December 19
• Calumet Reduces Prices of Its (Group II) Calpar 80, 100 and 150 by 50 CPG; Calpar 325 by 55 CPG; (Group I) Calpar 600 by 45 CPG and Calpar 2500 (150BS) by 35 CPG, Effective December 22
• HollyFrontier Reduces Prices of Its (Group I) SN70 through SN300, SN500 and SN600 by 45 CPG, and Its 150BS by 35 CPG, Effective December 17
• Chevron Reduces Prices of Its 100R by 50 CPG and Its 220R and 600R by 55 CPG Effective December 17
• Phillips 66 Reduces Prices of Its Group II Pure Performance 70N, 80N, 110N by 60 CPG and Its 225N and 600N by 65 CPG; Reduces Prices of Its Group II+ and Group III Ultra-S Cuts by 40 CPG, All Effective December 16
• Motiva Reduces Prices of Its Group II Star 4 (100 SUS) by 50 CPG, and Star 6 (220 SUS) and Star 12 (600 SUS) Base Oils by 55 CPG, Effective December 16
• Shell Agrees to Sell Some Downstream Businesses in Norway to ST1 (Excludes Lubricants)
• Honda Malaysia Introduces New Range Of Genuine Engine Oil
• Valvoline™ Launches TeamValvoline.com, a New Hub to Give Racers a Winning Edge