Indias Tide Water Oil named its largest shareholder, Standard Greases & Specialties Pvt., joint-promoter alongside state-owned Andrew Yule Group. The move may boost morale but isnt expected to affect management, according to company officials.

Pakistani lube supplier Hi-Tech Lubricants Ltd. started commercial production at its blending plant in Lahore early this month following approval from the countrys Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.

Sinopec is nearing the completion of an expansion at its lubricant blending plant in Chongqing, China. The project, which will bring the plants capacity to 215,000 metric tons per year, is part of a strategy to turn the facility into a regional supply point for the southwestern part of the country.

Five Indian lube companies saw year-on-year profit increases in their first quarters ranging from 8 percent for Tide Water to 75 percent for Apar Industries. Indonesia's PT Federal Karyatama also had a strong quarter, with sales volume growth of 5 percent.

About 9 percent of global base oil capacity is dedicated to making naphthenic oils. Do these oils really have a future, when new, more sophisticated oils are gaining market shares? Yes, they do! The secret lies in the very special properties of naphthenic oils.