Last week, ExxonMobil, Smitty's Supply, and Cam2 announced price increases for their lubricants and greases. ExxonMobil's lubes will increase by up to 4 percent; Roseland, LA-based Smitty's Supply, as well as Cam2, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, both announced a price increase on bulk and packaged lubricants of 20 to 25 cents per gallon, and greases by 3 cents per pound.

Chemtura has begun the commissioning activities of its new PAO plant in Ankerweg, Netherlands, as well as its new grease plant in Nantong, China and is expected to produce trial quantities later in the third quarter of this year. Commercial production of the PAO plant is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014

Kothari Petrochemicals Ltd, the largest manufacturer of polybutene in India, said in an announcement to the National Stock Exchange that its subsidiary Kothari Petrochemicals Pte Ltd, Singapore, floated in July, has now spawned a step-down subsidiary in Hong Kong, Kothari Petrochemicals HK Ltd.

Wichita, Kansas-based re-refiner, Universal Lubricants, manufacturer and distributor of the Eco Ultra® line of sustainable motor oils and transmission fluids, has announced the appointment of Jan Robert Horsfall, formerly Universal Lubricants’ chief marketing officer, as CEO, succeeding John Wesley.

Included with the 12-chart series of finished synthetic lubricants comprising our Sixth Edition of the Synthetic Industrial Lubricant Cross Reference Chart Series Book are the revised API Group IV (PAO) and API Group V (synthetics only) Basestock charts. The former, PAO basestocks, was presented two weeks ago, and the API Group V synthetic basestocks is presented this week.

• CITGO Announces October Light Oils and Lubricants Marketer Meeting
• France's Total to Buy Chevron's Egypt Retail Network
• BioLubes Manufacturer RSC Bio Solutions Names Bernie Roell New Technology VP
• Nishi Vasudeva to Head Hindustan Petroleum
• Julio Bertrand Planella to Head ENAP