Evonik has closed on an equity investment in Biosynthetic Technologies, LLC, a specialist in biobased lubricants headquartered in Irvine California. Biosynthetic Technologies has developed and manufactures a new class of bio-based synthetic oils called estolides that are used primarily in the passenger car motor oil and industrial lubricant sectors.

Chevron Oronite announced last Tuesday that it has completed a major expansion of its Singapore plant. Already the largest additives manufacturing facility in the Asia-Pacific region, the company's Jurong Island facility expansion will help meet the expected increase in lubricant demand in growing markets such as China and India that are served by the plant.

Three years after a massive fire ravaged the Niagara Lubricant plant, causing millions of dollars in damage and a host of environmental scares for its surrounding community, the industrial oil and lubrication products company has rebuilt operations at a new location, a 60,000-square-foot facility in the old American Axle & Manufacturing complex in Buffalo, NY.

Russian oil giant LUKOIL has opened Tmall.com, an online store selling the company’s branded lubricants in China. LUKOIL’s flagship store is an exclusive trading platform for the sale in China of LUKOIL’s original lubes for passenger cars and commercial auto transport.

Elevance Renewable Sciences last Monday announced plans to build a 240,000 MT biorefinery, to be located in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia, in a new collaboration with Genting Integrated Biorefinery Sdn Bhd. The biorefinery will produce renewable, high-performance olefins and specialty chemicals that can be used in multiple end-product applications, including lubricants.

Shell Lubricants announced the worldwide launch of Shell Helix Ultra with Shell PurePlus Technology, the company’s most advanced fully synthetic motor oil ever, featuring base oil designed from it's Pearl GTL plant in Qatar. In April of this year, Shell announced the introduction of Pennzoil Platinum® and Pennzoil Ultra® Platinum Full Synthetic motor oils also blended with these same base oils.

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• Flint Hills Resources Completes Purchase of PetroLogistics