Boris Kamchev

BORIS@LUBESNGREASES.COM

Staff Writer - Boris is a staff writer focused on Eastern Europe, Russia and the ex-Soviet lubricant industry. Prior to joining Lubes’n’Greases in 2010, Boris was a Russia-based reporter for several Macedonian news outlets. He had a 16-month stint as a business reporter for The St. Petersburg Times and contributed analyses to an English-language outlet of RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency. Boris often travels to St. Petersburg, Washington, D.C. and Skopje. Recently, he has also begun a part-time engagement as a foreign correspondent for North Macedonia’s state news agency, MIA.

Recent Articles

Russia Eases Lube Export Duties

Russia Eases Lube Export Duties

In a bid to support the country’s refineries, the Russian government introduced a measure to revoke step-up export dut …

Additive Plant Planned in Ufa

Additive Plant Planned in Ufa

A chemical company from the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan says it will build a lubricant additive factory in Ufa, th …

Joint Venture Builds Lube Plant in Angola

Joint Venture Builds Lube Plant in Angola

Angolan energy company Etu Energias and Malaysian lube marketer Glide Technology Sdn announced they will form a joint ve …

Poland Demand Dipped in 2023

Poland Demand Dipped in 2023

Poland’s demand for lubricants dropped by 1% in 2023 as the country’s economy stagnated, reflecting a broader declin …

Drones Attack Taneco Refinery

Drones Attack Taneco Refinery

A Ukrainian drone last week struck the Taneco refinery in Nizhnekamsk, which has an API Group II and Group III base oil …

Lukoil Builds Grease and Additives Plant

Lukoil Builds Grease and Additives Plant

Lukoil broke ground recently on a grease, metalworking fluids and lubricant additives production facility in Volgograd.

Modrica Loss Worsened in 2023

Modrica Loss Worsened in 2023

Rafinerija Ulja Modrica, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leading base oils and lubricants manufacturer, reported a loss of 2 …

Investment Firm Ups Stake in Prista

Investment Firm Ups Stake in Prista

Bulgarian investment company Alpha Bulgaria Fund recently announced its intention to purchase up to 200,000 shares in Pr …

Georgia Lube Imports Rose in 2023

Georgia Lube Imports Rose in 2023

Lubricant imports stagnated in Georgia in 2023, according to data published by the Union of Oil Products Importers, a tr …

Drone Attacks Target Rosneft Refinery

Drone Attacks Target Rosneft Refinery

Rosneft’s refinery in Novokuybyshevsk, Russia, was targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes twice last week, the latest in …

Russian Base Oil Exports Keep Falling

Russian Base Oil Exports Keep Falling

Russian base oil exports by sea dropped by 10% in 2023 to 260,000 metric tons, as the European Union imposed an embargo …

Russian Blender Makes Metal Containers

Russian Blender Makes Metal Containers

Russian lubricant blender United Petrochemicals opened a line that produces metal motor oil containers designed to comba …

India, China Biggest Base Oil Importers

India, China Biggest Base Oil Importers

Two big powerhouses, India and China, are the largest net base oil importers in the world, and an Argus Media analyst pr …

Base Oil Demand Described as Peaking

Base Oil Demand Described as Peaking

New emission standards and engine oil specifications are boosting demand for premium lubricant grades, while electric ve …

U.S. Base Oils Dominate Latin America

U.S. Base Oils Dominate Latin America

Structural shortages of base oil production in Latin America are attracting imports from other regions, and the market i …

U.S. Sanctions Russian Lube Companies

U.S. Sanctions Russian Lube Companies

The United States last week announced a sweeping new round of sanctions against Russia, covering a large number of compa …

Chevron: Industry Faces Uncertain Times

Chevron: Industry Faces Uncertain Times

The global lubricants industry is facing new challenges from geopolitical and economic events, such as wars in Ukraine a …

Uzbek Company Buys Italian Blender

Uzbek Company Buys Italian Blender

Uzbekistan oil and gas company Saneg acquired CGC Lubricants Italy S.p.A., an Italian lube maker, to expand its footprin …