Following Chevron's announcement last month, ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, Shell, CITGO, Castrol and Valvoline all announced this past week they will be decreasing finished lubricant prices. These price decreases range from (up to) 3.5% by ExxonMobil, Shell, Castrol and Valvoline to a maximum price decrease of up to 5% by CITGO.

Shell recently opened a Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) base oil hub in Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, about 30 Km from Dubai, and made Shell’s first delivery of GTL base oil in late December 2014. This new facility in Jebel Ali is Shell’s fourth GTL base oil storage hub alongside its existing hubs located in Houston, Hamburg and Hong Kong.

Chevron Oronite announced last week the latest status of three capital projects, which include doubling detergent capacity in Gonfreville, France; adding Carboxylate production capacity at it Singapore plant; and upgrading and expanding its Belle Chasse, Louisiana, USA, facility. These three projects represent the company’s highest level of investment globally since 1999.

Motiva Enterprises recently announced that Bryan Schorzman has joined the company as GM Base Oils, effective January 1, 2015, replacing Michael Lewis, who became Motiva’s chief procurement officer. Separately, Tony Jin has been appointed president of SK Lubricants Americas Inc. Jin most recently served as the base oil global marketing team leader for SK Lubricants Co. Ltd.

• Calumet to Decrease Prices on All Naphthenic Oils by 20 CPG, Effective January 22
• China Raises Consumption Tax on Lubricants by 0.12 Yuan (US$0.02) per Liter to 1.52 Yuan
• Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd to Exclusively Represent Whitmore Lubricants in India
• Ruud Ter Rele, Chevron Oronite Technology B.V., to Present "Development of the Next Generation of Heavy-Duty Engine Oils for Improved Fuel Economy" at Oildoc Conference
• Soilworks to Revolutionize Dust Suppression with Introduction of its Patent Pending Durasoil with GTL Technology