Japanese lube maker eyes overseas markets

Japanese oil wholesalers are boosting their overseas investments and setting up new revenue sources abroad because of the continued decline in local demand for gasoline and other petroleum products. Domestic sales of gasoline and other petroleum products were down 20% between fiscal 1999 and fiscal 2010. Idemitsu Kosan Co. said it will invest ¥1.5 billion (US$19.7 million) in its lubricant blending facility in Indiana, U.S. A., to increase its annual capacity by 50% to 100,000 kiloliters by the end of 2013. Idemitsu manufactures lubricating oil for wind turbines in Japan and the U. S. Now it wants to consolidate production in the U.S., which is the world’s biggest wind power generation market. The company said the move is aimed at increasing worldwide sales volume by as much as four to five times through 2015. (December 8, 2011)