Zavenir Daubert India Pvt. and Chemische Werke Kluthe GmbH formed a joint venture to strengthen their reach in markets for specialty chemicals such as metalworking fluids, and plan to build a plant and research and development center in western India by 2020.

China may soon welcome a new provider of synthetic lubricants derived from coal-to-liquid base stocks, as Shanxi Luan Taihang Lubricant Co. advances its testing of such products using polyalphaolefins from its parent company, the state-owned Shanxi Luan Mining Industry Group Co.

Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd. reported a 13 percent jump in its first quarter net profit, thanks to higher other income. Revenue, however, rose only marginally as the countrys new Goods and Services tax system disrupted retail sales in June.

Japans lubricant demand is forecasted to marginally rebound this year to 1.2 million metric tons due to demand from the industrial and automotive sectors, according to the Petroleum Association of Japan.

South Koreas S-Oil and SK Lubricants each increased lubricants sales in its second quarter, but neither achieved significant growth in operating income - recording a 1 percent increase and 9.5 percent decrease, respectively.