Adrian Brown is away. His column will reappear in the July 4 edition of Lube Report.

After several years of decline, Brazil's lubricant industry is showing signs of reviving, according to speakers at an industry conference in Rio de Janeiro last week. Sales from January through April increased 5.9 percent year over year, and demand is forecast to rise an average of 2 percent annually for the next four years.

With some forecasters predicting a big increase in hurricanes of the magnitude of last year's Harvey, industry sources say preparation is key to minimizing the impacts of such storms.

Does the global lubricants industry really need 1.12 million barrels a day of mineral base oil manufacturing capacity? Because thats how much it has, finds an annual tally from LubesnGreases. The United States controls 23 percent of this supply, the most for any single country.