DENVER -- Jiffy Lube International Inc. terminated eight Denver-area franchises held by Colorado Lubrication Inc. last week after a Denver Post article detailed allegations by current and former Colorado Lubrication employees from three stores who said they were instructed to tell customers that they put Pennzoil in their cars even though they used a less-expensive oil. The news broke just as Shell announced that it was purchasing Pennzoil-Quaker State, which owns the Jiffy Lube chain.

Colorado Lubrication Vice President Jerry Whitcomb acknowledged that the company had not been using the Pennzoil. Dirk Sparks, manager of one of the Jiffy Lube locations, said the practice had been going on for a year, but Whitcomb said he was aware of it happening only for the past four months. He denied, however, that he told employees to lie.

HOUSTON -- Shell Oil Products U.S. and Motiva Enterprises LLC have extended their partnership with Child Watch of North America, a nonprofit organization working to find missing children and keep all children safe. More than 5,500 Shell and Texaco gasoline stations nationwide will participate in the program, launched last year.

Shell kicked off the program this year with a $475,000 donation to the charity, presented at the Shell Houston Open golf tournament last weekend. The oil company is Child Watch’s biggest sponsor.