Caterpillar has revised its On-highway Diesel Engine Fluids Recommendations Bulletin, SEBU6385-08, for use with on-highway diesel engines. This 84 page bulletin contains the most current information available for lubricants, fuels and coolants used in these on-highway Cat engines.

Late last week Shell advised its marketers that prices for select SOPUS products will generally increase by up to 8% with an effective date of February 22, 2010. In certain instances, prices for specific products may change in amounts that fall outside of this general increase. Shell stated that this adjustment is due to increasing costs of raw materials used in the production and delivery of its products.

Scot Lubricants has announced that it has acquired a 202,000 square-foot facility in Northampton, PA. to replace its existing 57,000 square foot facility in Allentown, PA, for a purchase price of $2.6 million. The company plans to renovate the facility and relocate 16 employees and create 31 positions within three years.

Anderol is introducing a new range of compressor and vacuum pump lubricants based on novel chemistry. This new chemistry has now proved itself by obtaining a service life 3 times longer than that demanded by the OEMs. These new lubricants constitute the SYNERT® product line and will be available in a wide range of viscosities.

Evonik RohMax USA Inc. has announced that Tom Mallon and Joe Costa have joined their team. Tom Mallon joined Evonik RohMax USA during 2009 as Global Key Account Manager. and is based in the RohMax Horsham, PA., Regional NAFTA office. Joe Costa joined Evonik RohMax USA as Senior Account Manager last November, and is based in the Houston area.

Pamela R. Butcher has been appointed President and COO of Pilot Chemical. She has responsibility for the supervision and direction of all functions and operations in Pilot. Pam comes to Pilot after a 29 year career with Dow Chemical where she held a range of executive leadership positions in business management, marketing & sales, and innovation & development.

The base oil market was generally flat throughout Asia Pacific region this past week. Not much active movement was seen as buyers are long in their inventory position even though there was some interest in the Group I base oil market. Buyers are also comfortable with the current stocks and at a standstill at the moment.

• Idemitsu Lubricant Sales Company Established in San Paulo, Brazil
• LE Introduces Wirelife™ Almasol® Syn Coating Lubricant for Wire Ropes, Cables
• Chevron Issues Its Interim Earnings Update 4Q 2009; Downstream Results Expected to be Sharply Lower 
• Marathon Oil Estimates Its 4Q 2009 Refining and Wholesale Marketing Gross Margin Will Be Approximately $0.01 Per Gallon Compared to $0.1248 Per Gallon Earned in 4Q 2008 
• Pensol Lubricant Factory in India Gutted by Fire   
• Volvo Closing Asheville Construction Equipment Plant By March 31 
• Navistar Receives $37 Million Federal Funds From U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to Develop “Super Truck” Featuring 50 Percent Improvement in Fuel Efficiency
• Cummins Receives $54 Million Federal Funds for SuperTruck and Light-Duty Truck Fuel Efficiency Improvement Projects 
• U.S. Department of Energy Awards Daimler Trucks North America and Detroit Diesel Corporation $40 Million for 21st Century Truck Technology Partnership 
• AGCO Brand to be Phased Out in North America; Massey Ferguson and Challenger to Become Foundation Brands
• ANGUS™ Introduces Quaternary Phosphonium Hydroxide-Based Reagents for Use with its MORTRACE™ Fuel Marker Systems 
• Oxea Announces Global Price Increases