Due to continued challenges relating to new tests for the new ILSAC GF-6 category, the earliest release of the new passenger car engine oil category being developed for North America and Japan, will be January 2018, according to Teri Kowalski, principal engineer at Toyota Motor Corp., speaking at F+L Week 2015 at the Pan Pacific Singapore on March 12.

National Oil & Lube News has published its 2015 Tops in the Industry Ranking of the largest U.S. fast lube facilities and once again Jiffy Lube leads the list. Valvoline Instant Oil Change remained at the No. 2 spot. This year’s report covered 16,907 sites in all that brought in $13.7 billion in sales revenue, up $2.3 billion from last year.

BASF is significantly expanding its production capacity for about 20 specialty amines at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen. The company will invest a double-digit million euro amount in expanding current production facilities, which are planned to go on stream gradually by early 2017. The specialty amines are used for the manufacturing of lubricants as well as other products.

South Africa-based Engen Petroleum, a subsidiary of PETRONAS, has appointed X-Oil Congo as its exclusive distributor of Engen’s lubricants in the Republic of Congo. X-Oil Congo will have access to the full range of Engen’s automotive and industrial lubricants as well as selected PETRONAS SYNTIUM synthetic engine oils and PETRONAS Marine lubricants.

Gulf Oil LP and Lykins Energy Solutions, a petroleum marketer in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, have announced a new partnership that brings the Gulf Oil brand back to the greater Cincinnati area for the first time in 20 years. The partnership with Gulf Oil gives Lykins Energy Solutions the exclusive rights to the Gulf brand in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky market.

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• The Brazilian Government Raises Ethanol Blends in Gasoline to 27% From Current 25% Beginning March 16