Eastman Chemical has opened its Aviation Solutions Lubricants Academy and is urging commercial airlines worldwide to commit staff to skill development through training programs. In early 2014, Eastman Chemical acquired BP’s aviation turbine engine oil business. Eastman also manufactures and markets its family of Skydrol® phosphate-ester fire resistant aviation hydraulic fluids.

Total announced at a signing ceremony in China on November 28 with China Petroleum Engineering that it will build a grease plant at its lubricant factory in Tianjin, China. The new plant will have capacity to make 5,000 metric tons of lithium and lithium complex greases per year, as well as 1,000 metric tons per year of tunneling sealing greases.

Quaker Chemical recently announced it is debuting its new website for its QUINTOLUBRIC® fire-resistant hydraulic fluids. The new site has Quaker's Fluid Power products listed by hydraulic fluid category, HFA – High Water Content Fluids; HFC - Water Glycol Fluids; and HFD – Synthetic Water Free Fluids and provides better access to technical materials, videos and brochures.

The Index, which estimates cash margin contributions associated with U.S. Group II base stock production, is showing a downward cash margin trend. Margins on spot trade are also showing a downward cash margin trend. Base oil prices, notably on contract business linked to postings, have weakened, as evidenced by the latest round of posting adjustments recorded in mid-December.

Emery Oleochemicals has announced that construction of its new bio-polyol plant in Cincinnati, Ohio has reached mechanical completion. Initially, the plant will manufacture bio-based polyols for the automotive and major appliances industries. When full plant commissioning completes in Q2 2015, this plant will additionally produce solutions for Emery Oleochemicals' Bio-Lubricants.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 37,979 model year 2014-2015 cars because a fuel leak in the engine may cause a fire. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

• Vertex Energy Completes Acquisition of Heartland Petroleum
• Lubrizol Completes Acquisition of Weatherford Oilfield Chemicals and Drilling Fluid Businesses
• Champion Oil Announces RK Motors Charlotte as Newest Master Warehouse Distributor