Caltex Australia announced it is investing AU$5 (US$4.6) million to expand its national bulk lubricants storage and distribution network, including the construction of a new facility in Western Australia. The new distribution centre and bulk storage facility is being built in Welshpool, an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning.

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. announced that its Brazilian affiliate has established Chevron’s first Group II South American supply hub in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to provide reliable supply of premium base oil to lubricant producers in Brazil and other South America markets. A complete product line will be inventoried at the facility, including Group II grades 100R, 220R, and 600R.

Chevron Oronite announced last week that it has appointed Dynamics Middle East FZC as the distributor for its OLOA® additives and PARATONE® Viscosity Index Improvers (VII) in the Middle East and Pakistan which includes Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, and Pakistan.

A ceremony was held last week in Volgograd for the opening of the INTESMO (Innovative Lubricating Technologies) grease manufacturing plant, a 25-75 joint venture of a wholly-owned LUKOIL subsidiary and the Russian Railways. The INTESMO plant, designed to produce up to 30,000 tons of grease per year, is located in Volgograd at the site of LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery.

Valvoline Cummins Ltd., a joint venture between Ashland Inc. and Cummins India Limited, last week opened its two new laboratories for R&D and Product Development. The company also opened a world-class training facility at Ambernath plant near Mumbai. All the three facilities were inaugurated by Dr. Frances E. Lockwood, Senior VP and Global Chief Technology Officer, Ashland Consumer markets.

• RSC Bio Solutions Announces Addition of Richard Day as Market Manager, Europe and Opening of a Warehouse Facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands
• ExxonMobil Launches Mobilgard 525 Marine Engine Oil for Use with 0.1% Sulfur Fuel
• Gazprom Neft to Supply Marine Lubricants to World’s Largest Icebreaker Fleet
• Operational Units of Caltex Australia’s Kurnell Refinery to be Auctioned on September 15