Shell Oil Products US (SOPUS) announced last Monday a general price increase of up to 4% on its lubricants effective April 15, 2013. Shell added that "In certain instances, the effective date of change and the amount of the price change for specific products may be at a later date and/or an amount outside of this range."

Shell went on to say that the increase is due in part to increasing costs of raw materials used in the production and delivery of its products.

As a result of the recent increase in base oil prices, this may well indicate the beginning of another round of finished lube price increases after Phillips 66, Chevron, CITGO, Amalie and BP/Castrol announced price decreases of typically $0.30 per gallon late last year.