The European market has fared better than other regions this week. Asia has flopped again, and the U.S. looks rather ragged in places. Rising bunker costs are becoming a major factor for owners who will be trying to recoup the extra cost through higher freights.-by Adrian Brown

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association is working to complete an upgrade of its ACEA automotive engine oil standards by the end of this year. The first upgrade since 2016, the 2018 European Oil Sequences promise new and replacement tests, additional light-duty categories and the potential elimination of older such categories.

Engine sludge remains a common problem in Africa because of lubricant oxidation, soot contamination and water in engines, often exacerbated by poor maintenance and usage of obsolete engine oils, a Total Cameroon official said at a tribology conference last week.

Russian rerefiner efforts to collect used oil are being hindered by the popularity of burning it for fuel and by the inability of authorities to implement new waste regulations, an industry insider said last week at a conference in Moscow.