Lubricants World articles from April 2002

Lubricants World archives from April 2002

Lubricants in the spotlight. (Commentary).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2002... Suddenly everyone's interested in lubricants. I suppose it's only natural. It's not every day that a Shell and a Pennzoil-Quaker State come together, giving a company immediate top billing in both consumer fuels and consumer lubricants. And...

Shell gets a boost in lubes. (Newsletter).(Shell Oil Co. acquires Pennzoil-Quaker State Co.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Shell Oil Co., a wholly owned member of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, and Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. on March 25 announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Shell Oil will acquire Pennzoil-Quaker State at a price of...

Stockholders approve Conoco Phillips merger. (Company News).(Conoco Inc., Phillips Petroleum Co.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... On March 12, it became official, at least as far as the shareholders were concerned: Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co. stockholders both voted to approve the proposed merger of equals at special stockholder meetings. Archie W....

Conoco plant achieves ISO 14001 certification. (Company News).(Conoco Gulf Coast lube plant)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2002... The Conoco Gulf Coast lube plant in Lake Charles, LA, has been recognized internationally for demonstrating effective environmental management while improving performance. It is the first North American Conoco facility to have its...

Industry Datebook. (Company News).(conferences)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... INDUSTRY DATEBOOK April 13-16 2002 AOCA Convention & Fast Lube Expo Reno, NV Information: (800) 331-0329; (972) 458-9468 May 19-23 STLE Annual Meeting ...

Base oil margins tumble. (Base Oils).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
April 1, 2002... LW editorial adviser Joe Rousmaniere (Lithcon USA) shares the graph below, showing a comparison between the posted price of Group 1 SN100 FOB U.S. Gulf Coast ($1.04/gal. as of March 25) and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ($25/bbl as of...

NPRA data hit the shelves. (Base Oils).(National Petrochemical & Refiners Association report available)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In mid-March, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) issued its report titled "2002 Lubricating Oil and Wax Capacities of Refiners and Re-Refiners in the Western Hemisphere." The regional scope of this annual publication...

ACC withdraws Petroleum Additives proposal. (Automotive).(American Chemistry Council)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In a letter dated March 15 to automotive, oil, and additive representatives, W.D. (Doug) Anderson, Petroleum Additives Panel manager for the American Chemistry Council (ACC), officially withdrew a proposal submitted March 20, 2001, on a new...

Environmental engine project revealed. (Automotive).(TecTransfer Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... A radically new "low-tech" engine was announced in March, promising to cut emissions, improve fuel economy, increase power, and dramatically reduce costs to consumers and manufacturers. TecTransfer Inc. (TTI) made a previously secret...

Steel tariffs mean price hike. (Packaging).(Myers Container Corp. increases prices)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Myers Container Corp. has announced an 8.7% price increase on all shipments, beginning April 1. The company attributes the need for the price hikes to the recent imposition of tariffs on imported steel, which are designed to help U.S. steel...

Container reconditioner acquires Ifco Industrial Container Systems. (Packaging).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... On Feb. 25, 2002, Industrial Container Services L.L.C. (ICS) acquired Ifco Industrial Container Systems (Ifco), a division of Ifco Systems. ICS will continue to be the largest reconditioner of steel and plastic drums in the North America and...

Chinese auto industry takes advantage of Quaker's local sourcing strategy. (Asia).(Quaker Chemical, Asia)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... As China emerges as the world's largest and most competitive auto market, suppliers like Quaker Chemical Corp. have responded to Chinese automotive manufacturers' and suppliers' needs by successfully implementing a local sourcing strategy....

Huntsman International sells $300 million in bonds. (Europe).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Huntsman International L.L.C. announced in mid-March that it had closed its latest bond placement, following demand from investors that saw the offering oversubscribed by several hundred million dollars. The company had planned to raise $250...

Celanese, Hatco join up in Europe. (Europe).(Celanese Chemicals Europe GmbH, Hatco Corp. establish joint venture)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Celanese Chemicals Europe GmbH (Frankfort) and Hatco Corp. (Fords, NJ) have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture for the production and sale of neo polyol esters (NPEs). The partners will establish commercial activities and...

International industry events.
April 1, 2002... INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY EVENTS May 5-7 ELGI Annual General Meeting Seville, Spain Information: +34-95-476-94-00 (phone); +34-95-417-01-28 (fax); carol@elgi.demon.nl Sept. 2-5...

If at first you succeed, do it again. (ILMA Update).
April 1, 2002... The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) and ICIS-LOR are pleased to announce that the 2nd Annual Base Oils and Petroleum Additives Conference--The Americas will be held Dec. 5 and 6, 2002, at The Roosevelt Hotel in New...

Affordable training: get it in Houston this May. (STLE Update).
April 1, 2002... As one of the premier providers of education in the fields of tribology and lubrication, the Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE) continues to offer top-quality meetings and conferences several times a year. For example,...

The multifaceted European marketplace: industry experts issue data confirming the complex portrait of the lubricants business in Europe, where much of today's activity is born. (Cover Story).(Cover Story)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Europe has long been a leader in demonstrating trends in the worldwide lubricants industry, and activity in these markets is often a harbinger of changes to follow elsewhere. Recent news from industry watchers in Europe thus might make many...

No-sheen hydraulic oils might make a splash in eco-sensitive applications. (Additives & Specialties).(Interview)
April 1, 2002... Effective maintenance of hydraulic equipment operating near marine environments represents a double-tough challenge. Pumps and equipment must be protected from the wear and corrosion caused by excess moisture, but safeguards have to be in...

Centrifugal purification service gets transmission plant out of hot water. (Industrial).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2002... An automotive transmission manufacturing plant, located in Michigan, had a production emergency. The broaching oil, which was provided from a 12,000-gallon central filtration system located under the floor, had become contaminated with almost...

Heavy-duty oil keeps engine running smoothly longer. (Products).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2002... The Valvoline Co. has developed a synthetic engine oil, Premium Blue Extreme, that offers extended-drain capability and fuel economy benefits for heavy-duty fleet applications. This product meets all requirements for the API CI-4 performance...

Versatile container features All-Plastic construction. (Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. has unveiled the OTP-All-Plastic intermediate bulk container, a new design featuring a one-piece, rugged plastic base for the safe shipping and storage of heavy-weight products with specific gravity ratings up to 1.6....

Nanotechnology improves PTFE properties. (Products).(polytetrafluoroethylene)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Shamrock Technologies has filed for a patent on its new method of producing nanosized polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Using the method, Shamrock can offer fully controlled distributions of PTFE in the submicron range (200-700 nm), as well as...

Older engines benefit from special oil. (Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Castrol GTX High Mileage has been specially engineered to deliver superior protection against oil burn-off for engines with more than 75,000 miles of service. By utilizing special base oils, GTX High Mileage also provides maximum protection...

Software gives access to real-time plant data. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Simulation Sciences (SimSci) has released ARPM (Automated Rigorous Performance Monitoring) software, a new online plant performance monitoring solution for refining, chemical, and gas processing industries. ARPM is designed to automatically...

Ultrasonic monitor warns of failures, leaks. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... UE Systems' Ultra-Trak 750 passively monitors structure-borne ultrasounds produced by operating equipment. It can be set to detect either a rise or drop-off of sound levels in real time for trending or alarm purposes. Typical applications for...

Infineum USA. (People).(Diane Bennett)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Infineum USA recently announced the appointment of Diane Bennett as account manager in the North America sales team. She assumes responsibility for a number of accounts in the Midwest and Texas.

Conoco and Phillips Petroleum Co. (People).(Philip L. Frederickson; Gene L. Batchelder; Thomas C. Knudson; Robert A. Ridge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Conoco and Phillips Petroleum Co. have named additional members of the ConocoPhillips global management team. Philip L. Frederickson will become executive vice president, commercial. He currently is senior vice president of corporate...

Acme-Hardesty Co. (People).(names D Neil Fleming and Bryan A. Huston to new positions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Acme-Hardesty Co., a marketer and distributor of oleochemicals for various industries, has announced the following personnel changes: D. Neil Fleming has been named vice president. Previously serving as the company's national sales...

Hedwin Corp. (People).(names Guy Shipley sales manager)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Hedwin Corp. has appointed Guy S. Shipley to the new position of Liner Group sales manager.

Industry price watch.(petrochemicals)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... INDUSTRY PRICE WATCH Estimated Paraffinic Base Oil Prices * March 2002 Viscosity Average Low-High Light (70-150) 114 104-125 Medium (195-350) 117 108-127 Heavy (500-600)...