Lubrizol last Thursday announced that in conjunction with its previously announced technology license agreement with Daelim Industrial, it has begun construction of a new polyisobutylene (PIB) unit at its Deer Park, Texas facility. The new unit is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2019.

Within the past week or so, Amalie, Calumet, Castrol, Cam2, Warren Distribution and Smitty's Supply announced finished lubricant price increases, in the range of 20 to 35 cents per gallon, and/or 4% to 9%. The previous round of price increases was in late January and early to mid February this year.

China's Sinopec has agreed to pay almost $1 billion for a 75 percent stake in Chevron's South African assets and its subsidiary in Botswana. Sinopec said the assets include a 100,000 bpd oil refinery in Cape Town, a lubricants plant in Durban, 820 petrol stations and other oil storage facilities.

Chemtura announced last Friday that effective April 1, 2017 or as contracts allow, as a result of the continued escalation of costs, it will increase prices globally for the following Petroleum Additives products: Detergents: Calcinate®, Hybase®, Lobase®; Calcium Sulfonate Greases; Esters; and Phosphate Esters: Durad®, Reolube®.

Government owned Emirates National Oil Company has joined hands with other government entities to address the illegal trade of lubricants in Dubai. Authorities have also recently mandated upgrading API engine oil specifications to a minimum of API CH-4 for diesel engines and API SL for petrol engines.

• Chevron Oronite to Sponsor and Present at UNITI Mineral Oil Technology Congress 2017
• Castrol India Launches Castrol Power1 Cruise Engine Oil Specially Designed for Four-Stroke Cruiser/Tourer Motorcycles
• FUCHS Achieves New Records for Sales Revenues and Earnings in FY 2016, Confirming Provisional Report of February 16, 2017
• Petrobras Posts Net Profit of R$2.51 (US$0.8) Billion in 4Q16
• Eint Automotive PLB Division Appointed Exclusive Supplier of S-Oil in Oman