Brenntag AG last Thursday announced an expansion of its lubricants business in North America by signing agreements to acquire two leading distributors: Houston, Texas-headquartered J.A.M. Distributing Company, LLC, and related entities, as well as G.H. Berlin-Windward, headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire. The investment for both acquisitions totals $440 million.

Shell last Thursday opened its latest lubricant blending plant in Asia and the largest internationally operated lubricant plant in Indonesia. The facility is located at the Marunda Centre, north of Jakarta and sits on 75,000 square metres of land, equivalent to ten football fields. The plant is capable of producing 120,000 tonnes of finished lubricants a year.

According to the latest monthly short-term price forecast in Argus Base Oils Outlook, global bright stock prices are forecast to remain unusually firm over the coming months, supported by tightening structural supply of the key lubricant feedstock. Bright stock prices, though, are expected to ease through to the end of the year on the back of a seasonal slowdown in demand.

BP predicts a secure and sustainable energy future and says that applying today's best technologies to discover oil and gas resources could significantly increase proven reserves. Advances in technology will keep energy supplies plentiful and affordable, enough to meet projected demand many times over, according to data published in the BP Technology Outlook.

• Calumet to Decrease Prices on All Naphthenic Oils by 15 CPG, Effective November 12
• San Joaquin Refining Decreases Naphthenic Base Oil Prices by 15 CPG, Effective Today, November 9
• Ergon Reduces Naphthenic Base Oil Prices in North America by 15 CPG, Effective November 4
• HollyFrontier Reports 3Q2015 Net Income of $196.3 Million Compared to $175.0 Million for 3Q 2014
• Chemtura Reports $156 Million 3Q Net Sales For Its Petroleum Additives Segment, Down 7.7 Percent From $169 Million Year Earlier
• Quaker Chemical Reports 3Q Net Income of $14.8 Million, Down 8 Percent From Year Earlier
• PetroChoice Acquires Badger Lubrication Technologies, Inc. in Wisconsin and Yankee Point Lubricants In Pennsylvania
• Flyers Energy Completes Acquisition of Branded Lubricants Distributor SKS Oil
• Nanyang Technological University Launches Southeast Asia’s First Maritime Energy Test Bed