Lubricants World articles from December 2001

Lubricants World archives from December 2001

Industry, look out. (Commentary).
December 1, 2001... Not that we haven't been updating you on the state of the industry throughout the year (it is, after all, what we do), but this issue's cover story--our annual industry outlook--tells a slightly different tale than we have heard of late. Sure,...

FOCUS: Conoco, Phillips Combo creates new supermajor. (Newsletter).
December 1, 2001... On Nov. 18, 2001, Conoco Inc. (Houston) and Phillips Petroleum Co. (Bartlesville, OK) announced that their boards of directors had unanimously approved a merger of equals, and that the companies had signed a definitive merger agreement. The new...

National Petrochemical & Refiners Association.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Thee National Petrochemical & Refiners Association has issued a call for questions to its 2002 Petrochemical Plant Maintenance Conference May 7-10 in San Antonio. Questions can be emailed to MC02_Questions@npradc.org.

J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Houston.(selected to handle Texaco branding campaign)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Houston has been selected to handle Texaco-branded retail marketing services in the United States.

Lubrication Institute.(certified lubricants and lubrication analyst classes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The Lubrication Institute is offering certified lubricants and lubrication analyst classes in Overland Park, KS, on March 19-21, May 21-23, July 23-25, Sept. 17-19, and Nov. 19-21.

ChevronTexaco to cut 500 more jobs. (Company News).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... ChevronTexaco Corp. recently said it will eliminate another 500 jobs as part of its plan to save $1.8 billion annually by March 2003. The company is eliminating overlapping operations in the $39 billion merger of Chevron Corp. and Texaco Inc.,...

Antek to relocate facility. (Company News).(Antek Industrial Instruments)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Antek Industrial Instruments (Marble Falls, TX) will move to Houston, where its Antek Instruments LP facility is located. The move will provide more space for instrument development, production, and customer training. Antek Industrial...

American Refining acquires Ohio terminal. (Company News).(former Belden and Blake Corp. terminal)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The American Refining Group Inc. (ARG) acquired a crude oil terminal near Sandyville, OH, the company announced in November. The former Belden and Blake Corp. terminal gives ARG the presence it needs to competitively purchase crude oil in Ohio,...

Industry datebook. (Company News).
December 1, 2001... Jan. 9-12 Petroleum Marketers Association of America Motor Fuels & Lubes Conference. Scottsdale, AZ Information: (703) 351-8000, ext. 29 Feb. 18-20 STLE Condition Monitoring Educational ...

PC-9 becomes a reality. (Automotive).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... At the December meeting of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) groups responsible for establishing testing standards for the next generation of heavy-duty diesel engine oils, the relevant parties approved performance tests and...

Senate Democrats seek increases in fuel economy. (Automotive).
December 1, 2001... Top U.S. Senate Democrats want significant increases in fuel economy standards to be included in a sweeping energy bill to coming up for a vote on the floor of the chamber. The proposal would be the single largest increase in federal...

Castrol steps up services for fast lubes. (Automotive).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Castrol North America in November began offering assistance from architects to those wishing to build fast-lube facilities. The building architecture services (BASE) program simplifies the building of a new facility and the updating or...

Chevron Phillips Chemical expands Olefin production. (Additives).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The normal alphaolefin (NAO) business of ChevronPhillips Chemical Co. (CPChem) received approval to expand its production facility near Houston at Cedar Bayou, TX. The 220 million-lb/year expansion will increase CPChem's domestic NAO capacity...

OSHA issues metalworking guide. (Industrial).
December 1, 2001... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in December released its 89-page health and safety guide for metalworking fluids (MWFs). "Metalworking Fluids: Safety and Health Best Practices Manual" was developed by OSHA over...

Industrial output off in October. (Industrial).(Federal Reserve report)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2001... U.S. industrial output in October took its biggest dive in nearly 11 years and extended a string of monthly declines that was the longest since the Great Depression, the Federal Reserve said in November. The output for the nation's factories,...

Syntroleum secures site lease, water agreement. (Asia-Pacific).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Syntroleum Corp. (Tulsa, OK) announced in early November that it had completed two additional contracts relating to construction of its 11,500-bpd gas-to-liquids (GTL) specialty products plant (Sweetwater), which is under development in Western...

Lukoil, Chevron Oronite sign master supply agreement. (Europe).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... On Nov. 15, OAO Lukoil Oil Co. and Chevron Oronite Co. LLC announced they had signed a master supply agreement (MSA) covering the supply of Chevron Oronite lubricating oil additives to Lukoil. The MSA is related to the commercial and technical...

Sale of Cognis confirmed. (Europe).(by Henkel Group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Henkel Group announced that the sale of its chemicals business, Cognis, has been confirmed, since the investor consortium did not exercise its right to withdraw from the contract as granted by Henkel On Sept. 12, 2001, Henkel signed an...

Citgo Ecuador offices open in Guayaquil. (Latin America).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In mid-November, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) inaugurated in Guayaquil its Citgo Ecuador offices, in what is a new step towards the strengthening of its presence, under the PDV brand, in the lubricants market of this South American...

ExxonMobil Chemical, Repsol-YPF join in Argentina. (Latin America).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... ExxonMobil Chemical Co. announced that effective Nov. 5, 2001, its Argentine affiliate will begin supplying South America with locally produced oxo alcohol through an exclusive tolling agreement with Repsol-YPF in Argentina. Under the...

International Industry Events. (Latin America).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Jan. 15-17 13th International Colloquium on Tribology: Lubricants, Materials, and Lubrication Engineering Stuttgart/Ostfildern, Germany Information: +49-711-3400810...

ILMA pledges to increase, retain membership. (ILMA Update).(Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Through a vigorous new member marketing campaign, the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) has pledged to both increase its membership numbers and retain its current members. This year, ILMA updated its membership...

PPC says goodbye to old friends, but also looks to the future. (PPC Update).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... As of Dec. 31, Irene Overman Kreer & Associates Inc. will conclude its contract with the Petroleum Packaging Council (PPC). While Kreer (`Rene, to those who know her) and her staff will be saying goodbye with regret, she says it will also be...

CM2002 comes to Dallas. (STLE Update).(Condition Monitoring Educational Conference and Exhibition )
December 1, 2001... Building on the success of the San Antonio meeting earlier this year, the second annual Condition Monitoring Educational Conference and Exhibition hosted by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) will be held Feb. 18-20,...

Industry outlook: observations on the lubricants business: looking at the lubricants industry can be like examining a vast and mysterious space ... but we have experienced observers to guide the way.
December 1, 2001... It has become traditional for Lubricants World to provide an annual overview of the industry, drawing upon the particular talents of our editorial advisers. This time, Neil Canter of Chemical Solutions, Ralph Cherrillo of Equilon, and Suzan...

Air-quality rules promote soot testing of engine oil. (Automotive).
December 1, 2001... Government regulators are on a continuing quest to reduce air pollution. Past regulations have done much in this regard. Rulings enacted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the 1980s have reduced nitrous oxide emissions from...

North American naphthenic base oil refiners find balance. (Base Oils).
December 1, 2001... In the United States, naphthenic base oil refiners are in contraction mode, pulling back volumes as they lose demand. The upshot has been as dramatic as the closure of the Golden Bear refinery in Bakersfield, CA, close on the heels of its June...

Metalworking fluid technology for today's cutting tool materials. (Industrial).
December 1, 2001... Significant advances have been made during the recent years in the development of new cutting tool materials and tool coatings. Titanium nitride (TiN) and various alloyed titanium nitride coatings have gained wide acceptance and use. The...

Petro-Canada Introduces Synthetic TO-4 All-Season Transmission Drivetrain Oil.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... Petro-Canada in November introduced its Supertest TO-4 synthetic all-season transmission drivetrain oil (TDTO), which is formulated from 99.9% pure base oils. Supertest TO-4 is for transmission, drivetrain, wet brake, and hydraulic...

Oxford Instruments XpertEase Released for X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzers.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... A new version of XpertEase software was released by Oxford Instruments for its ED2000 and MDX1080 x-ray fluorescence analyzers, the company announced recently. XpertEase 3.2 is available as an upgrade, runs on the Microsoft Windows 2000...

Free Clean Air Fact Book Offered by United Air Specialists.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Because air quality cannot be ignored in the workplace, a free clean air fact brochure is being offered by United Air Specialists. The company says it hopes the free 20-page brochure will help companies in a wide variety of industries...

European Mobil Motor Oil Introduced in North America.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... ExxonMobil's 10W-40 tri-synthetic motor oil created for European automobiles is now available in North America at the dealerships of European automakers and Mobil-branded distributors. The synthetic oil is designed for gasoline, diesel, and...

Petro-Canada Hydraulic Fluid Offers Total Wear Protection.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... Petro-Canada has launched two lines of hydraulic fluid, Hydrex and Environ, based on its total-wear protection formulation. Both products are designed for plant or mobile hydraulic systems, and Environ is formulated for use in areas where there...

Lubricants Introduced for Overseas Scooter Markets.(by Rock Oil)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A lubricant manufacturer in the United Kingdom, Rock Oil, introduced a new line of oil for the growing overseas scooter market. In many European cities, the two-wheeled scooters, some slightly smaller than an American motorcycle, are growing as...

National-Spencer Has New Ratio Oil Pump.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... The Medel 1737 Zee Line 1:1 ratio oil pump recently introduced by National-Spencer Inc. is designed for use with oils and noncorrosive liquids. The pump weighs only 6 pounds, fits drums and tanks with a 2-inch bung opening, and has a maximum...

Dr. Hiss Leak Detector Introduced by Netexpress USA.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... Netexpress USA (Ft. Myers, FL) recently announced the release of its Dr. Hiss fluid leak detector, which is a bolt-on sensor that can be attached to tanks, pipes, steam traps, valves or any other container that operates under pressure or...

Schlumberger Flow-Measurement Info on CD.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... Schlumberger flow measurement product information is available on a compact disc from the Schlumberger Measurement Division (Greenwood, SC). The CD has descriptions, photographs, specifications, performance data, typical application flow charts...

Simulation Sciences Offers Software To PRO/II Users.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... For 30 days and $500 to $2,000, users of Simulation Sciences' (SIMSCI) PRO/II simulation software can try other process engineering software from SIMSCI, a unit of Invensys Process Systems (Brea, CA), SIMSCI announced in November. The...

Emerson's Vibration AnalyzerWorks With Various Monitoring Programs.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The CSI 2120A RBMconsultant portable vibration-data collector can transfer data to any software program with protocols and engineering support from Computational Systems Inc. (CSI) the mechanical equipment condition monitoring specialists of...

Coastal Skills Training Offers Instrumentation Program.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Three new training programs are available to help technicians prepare for the certified control systems technician (CCST) program offered by the Instrumentation Systems and Automation Society (ISA). The programs, developed by ISA and...

Industrial Specialties Mfg. offers multi-port check valve.(multi-port check valve)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A multi-port check valve from Industrial Specialties Manufacturing Inc. allows flow in both directions while preventing flow in the opposite direction. The valves operate in any orientation and are used in vacuum, pressure or liquid lines. The...

ExxonMobil.(Dan Larkin as fleet optimized-drain-interval coordinator)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Dan Larkin recently joined the ExxonMobil commercial vehicle lubricants technical team as fleet optimized-drain-interval coordinator. Larkin is an engine, fuels, and lubricants technical expert and 32-year employee of Detroit Diesel Corp. ...

Conoco.(Michael Blackburn named general manager of lubricants and specialty products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Michael Blackburn has been named general manager of lubricants and specialty products, one of Conoco's three downstream businesses in North America. A 25-year veteran of Conoco, Blackburn's most Blackburn recent position was president and...

ExxonMobil Corp.(executive named chairman of)(American Petroleum Institute)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Lee R. Raymond, chairman of the board and CEO of ExxonMobil Corp. has been elected to a 1-year term as chairman of the board of the American Petroleum Institute (API), effective Jan. 1. As chairman, Raymond will also chair the association's...

Ashland Inc.(reorganizes top management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Ashland Inc. has reorganized its top management positions. Among the changes: David J. D'Antoni will become senior vice president and group operating officer for APAC and The Valvoline Co. In the APAC position, D'Antoni succeeds James R. Boyd,...

Rohm and Haas.(appoints)(Jean-Francois Mayer)(vice president and director of procurement)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Jean-Francois Mayer has been named Rohm and Haas' vice president and director of procurement, replacing David T. Espenshade, who is retiring. Mayer will lead the company's procurement organization and will interact with suppliers worldwide.

Dover Chemical Corp.(appoints)(Carroll W. Larke)(vice president of manufacturing technologies and resources)(Brief Article)(Abstract)
December 1, 2001... Dover chemical Corp. has named Carroll W. Larke vice president of manufacturing technologies and resources. Larke will oversee the development of engineering and technology.

CDF Corp.(appoints Kevin Powers regional sales manager)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Kevin Powers has been hired as a regional sales manager at CDF Corp.

Dover Chemical Corp.(names)(Raymond O. Johannessen regional vice president)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Raymond O. Johannessen of Dover Chemical Corp. has been named the Southeast-Southwest regional vice president on the board of directors of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association.(appoints)(Kathleen Sehmatz executive vice president)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association has named Kathleen Sehmatz as its executive vice president.

Penreco.(Hugh Leonard named GM, European sales)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Hugh Leonard has been appointed general manager of European sales and marketing for Penreco. He will be based in London.

Ford Motor Co.(Stefan Korcek is retiring)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Effective Jan. 1, Stefan Korcek is retiring after 31 years of service at Ford Motor Co.

MycroSensor Technologies LLC.(Robert Harvey is manager of product marketing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Robert Harvey is manager of product marketing at MycroSensor Technologies LLC.

Industry price watch.(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2001... Estimated Paraffinic Base Oil Prices * November 2001 Viscosity Average Low-High Light (70-150) 137 130-146 Medium (195-350) 141 133-150 Heavy (500-600) 149 141-159...