Automotive drivetrain OEM Dana announced that it will combine with the Driveline division of UK-headquartered GKN plc to create Dana plc, to be domiciled in the United Kingdom. The $6.1 billion transaction, Dana says, will enable it to leapfrog larger automotive driveline competitors such as Borg-Warner, Continental and ZF Friedrichshafen.

Italmatch Chemicals has completed the acquisition of Chinese Jiayou Chemical from Ecolab Inc. The deal includes the acquisition of the entire business and assets relating to phosphonate production and sales carried out by Jiayou Chemical Co., located in the Changzhou area (China). Phosphonates are used as corrosion inhibitors in lubricants.

ExxonMobil announced last Monday it is introducing a new high performance synthetic motor oil, Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage. The new oil is specifically designed for high mileage vehicles with more than 75,000 miles on their engines and guarantees* longer lasting engine protection for 15,000 miles between changes.

This past week, Royal Manufacturing, Martin Lubricants, Warren Distribution and Maverick Performance Products announced finished lubricant price increases. Also announcing increases were Sunbelt Lubricants and Reliance Fluid Technologies, the previous week. These increases ranged anywhere between 3% and 10%.

Lubrizol announced last Thursday its new Lubrizol® PV2600 series additive technology is approved for formulating Mercedes-Benz (MB) 229.71 engine oils. These lubricants are mandatory to meet warranted service fill requirements for the latest generation of hybrid powertrains employing Daimler OM654 turbocharged diesel engines and M256 or M264 gasoline engines that come with 48V integrated electrics. 

Petrobras posted a R$446 (US$135.8) million loss in 2017, it's smallest full year loss in the last four years. The company would have earned R$7.089 billion, but one-off expenses, in particular R$11.198 billion to end a class action filed by USA investors, and participation in federal tax settlement programs, which amounted to R$10.433 billion. Operating income more than doubled between 2016 and 2017, to R$35.624 billion.

• Lubrizol® SG9L60 Awarded Product Development of the Year
• Wynnchurch Capital Acquires Heartland Automotive
• Pennzoil Launches Pennzoil Platinum 0W-16 Full Synthetic Motor Oil
• Tractor OEM Valtra to Factory-Fill With Neste Renewable Diesel Fuel
• Malaysian News Reports Petronas is Contemplating Floating Its Lubricant Business, Petronas Lubricants International (PLI)