NewMarket Corporation last Thursday released its earnings report of the company’s operations for the third quarter and nine months of 2009. Net income for the third quarter of 2009 increased to $56.7 million, compared to net income for the third quarter last year of $16.5 million. Afton Chemical, the Petroleum Additives segment, posted third quarter 2009 operating profit of $96.3 million, compared to $28.1 million for third quarter 2008.

Lubrizol announced last week that it expects to report earnings performance for the third quarter of 2009 of approximately $170 million, including a restructuring and impairment charge of approximately $4 million. Excluding this charge, the company expects to report earnings as adjusted of approximately $174 million. Lubrizol will release actual third quarter 2009 earnings this coming Thursday, October 29, 2009.

Dow Chemical reported that net income from continuing operations for the third quarter was $799 million, compared to net income from continuing operations of $440 million in the third quarter of 2008. Sales of $12.0 billion for the third quarter of 2009, though, were down 22 percent from reported sales in the same period last year. Sales improved 6 percent from the second quarter of this year.

BASF Antwerpen N.V. last week announced its intention to close its 115,000 annual tons maleic anhydride (MA) production facility by the end of 2009 and to withdraw all BASF activities from its site in Feluy, Belgium. Maleic anhydride is used in lube oil additives for use in gasoline and diesel engine crankcase oils as dispersants and corrosion inhibitors.

Arabian Petroleum Supply Co. SA (APSCO) last week at its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, signed a multimillion dollar long-term contract to blend and supply lubricants for Petronas Marketing Sudan Ltd, a subsidiary of Petronas Malaysia. APSCO operates a lube blending plant in Jeddah with a capacity of 350,000 barrels per year.

DuPont last week announced the merger of two businesses, DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise and DuPont Fluoroproducts, into a single unit named DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts. The group markets DuPont™ Teflon™ Dry-Film Lubricants, DuPont™ Teflon™ Silicone Lubricants, and DuPont™ Teflon™ Greases.

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