Volume 2 Issue 24

SSY Base Oil Shipping Report

The U.S. market is coping better with the mayhem caused by falling feedstock and commodity prices than other areas such as Europe and Asia. Asia in particular has experienced a very slow week, but this may also be partly due to holidays in the region.-by Adrian Brown

Grease Production Edges Up in Europe

Lubricating grease production in Europe increased 1.2 percent in 2018, according to the National Lubricating Grease Institutes annual production survey, which was released this week. Production at plants in Europe shifted to grease made with calcium soap thickeners and lithium soap complex, while the Middle East and Africa experienced an uptick in those made with complex lithium soap thickeners.

Ineos Plans PAO Plant in Saudi Arabia

Ineos agreed last week to build a linear alpha olefin plant and a polyalphaolefin plant in Saudi Arabia as part of a larger petrochemical project being developed by Saudi Aramco and Total. The PAO plant would be the first such facility in the Middle East.

Metalworking Paces Additive Growth

Global volume demand for lubricant additives grew approximately 1 percent in 2017 after increasing an average of 2.6 percent annually from 2014 to 2016, according to a report from Kline & Co. The firm said growth decreased because of a tightening regulatory framework that includes chemicals and biocides regulations in the European Union.

From Other Editions of Lube Report

Briefly Noted

Belarus raised exports duties on lubricants exported outside the Eurasian Economic Union from U.S. $31.30 per metric ton to $33.10/t on June 1.