Hyundai Motor Company and Shell Lubricants announced the renewal, for another five years, of their agreement for Shell to be recommended as the preferred aftermarket motor oil supplier for Hyundai vehicles worldwide. In North America, Quaker State branded lubricants will be the brand recommended by Hyundai. The companies have now been cooperating for a decade.

Afton Chemical posted operating profit of $85.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, an improvement of 6.9% over operating profit for the same period last year of $80.0 million. Operating profit for the full year 2014 was $385.1 million, up 2.6% versus the previous year’s operating profit of $375.3 million. Sales for the full year increased 2.4% to $2.3 billion, and shipments were up 4.2%.

Valvoline reported improved sales, profitability and margins for the first quarter of its new fiscal year which ended December 31, 2014. EBITDA rose 11 percent, to $92 million, and EBITDA as a percent of sales was 18.7 percent. Overall sales rose 1 percent, to $492 million. Premium-branded lubricant sales volume increased to 38.4 percent, a 260-basis-point increase from prior year.

Last week, Shell and Chevron reported reduced fourth-quarter earnings. Shell reported that fourth quarter net income fell significantly to $595 million, but on a CCS basis, fourth quarter earnings rose 93 percent to $4.2 billion. Chevron reported fourth quarter earnings of $3.47 billion compared with $4.93 billion in the 2013 fourth quarter. Refiner Phillips 66 though reported a 39 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013.

Spectro Scientific has expanded its condition monitoring capability with the acquisition of On-Site Analysis, Inc. OSA, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, specializes in the development and manufacture of advanced fluids analysis hardware and software technologies, primarily for on-premise coolant, oil and lubrication testing for municipal and commercial fleet vehicles.

• RelaDyne Acquires Fentress Oil Company and Greg Wright Supply
• Reliable Group-I-Replacement-Supply-from-Nynas-Naphthenics
• Hanjin Energy Finalizes Sale of Its 28.4% Stake in S-Oil Corp. to Saudi Aramco for 1.98 Trillion Won (U.S. $1.83 Billion)
• Klueber Lubrication and Chem-Trend to Expand Their Manufacturing Facilities in Qingpu, China
• Partequipos to Represent Eni Lubricants in Peru
• Royal Mfg Co. Decreases Prices on Most Finished Lubricants by Approximately $1.00 Per Gallon Effective January 19, 2015
• Petro-Canada Decreases Prices of White Oils and Process Oils by 3-5%, and up to 3.5% for All Other Products, Effective February 2, 2015