Nippon Oil to open Vietnam office

Nippon Oil Corp. has announced that it will open an office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on February 1 to monitor lubricant oil demand for cars and motorcycles for Japanese automakers’ operations. Staffed by three employees, the new office will conduct research and gather data necessary for its sales operations. Lubricant oil for the Vietnamese market is now being manufactured by the firm’s Thai subsidiary, and Nippon Oil said it has no plans to transfer production to Vietnam. Nippon Oil expects its overseas lubricant oil sales to reach 240,000 kiloliters (kl) in Fiscal 2009, and is targeting 300,000 kl this year. (January 18, 2010)