TPC Group has announced plans to install a third production unit at its plant in Houston, Texas to increase polyisobutylene capacity. In addition, TPC continues to debottleneck its existing polyisobutylene capacity which has now increased more than 15 percent since 2012.

On Tuesday, May 20, Evonik Oil Additives celebrated the move of the Shanghai Oil Additives staff to new and expanded laboratory facilities in the Xinzhuang Industrial Park in the Minhang district of Shanghai. Evonik produces its oil additives under the brand name VISCOPLEX® and its synthetic base fluids under the VISCOBASE® brand.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg, Germany. Together with a consortium, has developed an entirely new class of lubricating material: liquid crystalline lubricant. When two surfaces move in opposite directions, the liquid crystal molecules between the two surfaces align themselves so that the frictional resistance is extremely low.

Chevron last week said it had signed an initial sale agreement with Puma Energy to sell the downstream business in Swaziland and exit the downstream business, with the exception of the lubricants market where Chevron will continue to be represented by an independent distributor. The proposed transaction is expected to take six months.

• ExxonMobil Increases API Group I Base Oil Postings by 10 to 15 CPG, and Group II+ Postings by 8 CPG Effective May 23
• Dana Unveils VariGlide CVP Transmission Technology
• Hess to Sell Retail Business to Marathon Oil for $2.6 Billion
• Neste Oil to Launch New, Low Sulfur Bunker Fuel
• UK-based Lubricants Data Provider OATS Celebrates 30th Anniversary in 2014
• China's CNPC and Russia's Gazprom Sign Huge 30-year, $400-billion Deal for Russian Natural Gas