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| United Petroleum Products |
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Press Release
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| Mar 10, 2011 |
United Wins Big at ConocoPhillips Awards
On January 29th, United Petroleum was presented with four performance awards at the annual ConocoPhillips Awards Banquet. United was the recipient of the following awards related to the sales of ConocoPhillips products:
- Top Marketer in Pacific Region
- Most Improved 2010 Sales in Pacific Region
- Over 1,000,000 Gallons in Sales
- Years of Service Award - 20 Years
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Dec 15, 2010
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United Petroleum’s Merritt Cardlock Adds More Pumps
The United Petroleum cardlock in Merritt, BC has expanded by adding a new, second island with two pumps. Our Merritt cardlock site has been so busy for the past year, that customers were actually lined up down the road waiting to fuel their vehicles. Adding this new island will alleviate these long lines and our customers fuelled and on their way.
The new pumps were activated in November and are now fully operational. These pumps have added two additional diesel hoses and two marked diesel hoses. These are in addition to regular gas, premium marked gas, diesel and marked diesel.
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| Nov 8, 2010 |
GF-5 Specification Launched on October 1st
Recently approved by the International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) – a group comprised of representatives from automakers, oil companies and additives formulators – GF-5 was launched on October 1, 2010. GF-5 is the fifth generation of motor oil, hence the name, developed by ILSAC since GF-1 which debuted in 1992.
The most significant improvement that GF-5 represents versus GF-4 is in the area of fuel economy performance. Automakers are under extreme regulatory pressure to increase fuel economy throughout their line-ups, and while motor oil technology can’t provide huge benefits, even small improvements can make a big difference when spread across millions of vehicles. One-half of one percent may not sound like a huge improvement, but even that small percentage can save millions of litres of fuel each year.
The second enhancement that GF-5 has made is improved oil robustness. Oil robustness helps to extend drain intervals. An increase in weighted piston deposits is a key indicator of oil robustness. The goal was to increase the limits as measured by the Sequence IIIG (three-G) test from 3.5 merit rating to a 5.0 merit rating, which is a substantial increase. (In the Sequence IIIG Weighted Piston Deposit Test, test parts are rated for part cleanliness on a qualitative scale from zero to 10, with 10 being maximum cleanliness.) In the end, the merit rating was increased from a rating of 3.5 to a rating of 4.0; which is still a significant improvement.
Finally, the GF-5 specifications had to feature products that can better protect automotive emissions systems. When the GF-4 specification was created, motor oil formulators agreed to limit the amount of phosphorus and sulphur – key lubricating additives, but also elements that are harmful to catalytic converters – in motor oil. With GF-5, the same limits were used, but the industry developed a test to determine a “phosphorus volatility” measurement, or the amount of phosphorus that is retained in the motor oil throughout its expected oil change interval.
One issue that has not come up much with GF-5 is that of backward compatibility. During the development of the GF-4 specification, it was widely believed that meeting the performance characteristics requested by the automakers would result in a product unable to meet the protection needs of older engines. Fortunately, this is not the case and all parties involved agree that GF-5 will be fully backward compatible with older vehicles.
So, what will these GF-5 products cost? It has been predicted that motor oil installers and consumers could expect to see price differences around 10 percent for GF-5 products as opposed to GF-4 products. The good news; the GF-5 specification should be around at least through 2015.
The GF-5 specification pushes the envelope. It’s resulting in a better product in many ways and the end consumer will be the winner in this process. As of November 1, 2010 ConocoPhillips Lubricants’ current line-up of GF-4 passenger car motor oil products will be compliant to the new ILSAC GF-5 specification. This transition will apply to 76, Conoco and Phillips 66 brands.
*Source: National Oil & Lube News, July 2010 Issue, “Countdown to GF-5: New Spec Promising Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary Changes to Motor Oil” by Garrett McKinnon
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| Oct 7, 2010 |
Re-refined Base Stocks Reach Par with Virgin Base Stocks, but Many Issues Still Hinder Industry Growth, Reveals Kline
PARSIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally, about 69% of the finished lubricant demand is converted into used oil. Of the total used oil collected, 78% is consumed as industrial fuel and 16% is re-refined, finds recently released study Global Used Oil 2009: Market Analysis and Opportunities from global consulting and research firm Kline & Company.
Following significant technological advances in the last 10 years, the re-refining industry has reached a stage where it can produce re-refined base stocks on par with virgin base stocks. Awareness of the quality of re-refined lubricants is spreading among a growing band of end users; however, this perception is not nearly universal and customer hesitance due to perceptions of poor quality and inconsistent supply still prevents a larger-scale industry growth.
Used-oil collection and disposal rates differ significantly across countries, and even by states and municipalities. Although used oil collection regulations exist in most countries, varying levels of enforcement and incentives mean that, globally, of the total used oil generated, only about 74% is collected. The remaining 26% is combusted, re-used without appropriate treatment, or discarded.
The front runner of the re-refining industry is Europe. Thanks to strong regulation and enforcement, nearly 90% of all used oil is collected, and 50% of this is sent to re-refining. As a result, re-refined base stocks at present account for 13% to 15% of the overall basestock supply in the region. Influencing the utilization of used oil are the economic values of different disposal options. North America's collection rates are comparable to those of Europe; however, more than 80% of the used oil collected is used in various fuel applications, while only about 12% is sent to re-refining. It is considerably cheaper and less complicated to prepare used oil for fuel applications.
With the exception of Brazil, where strong regulation favours re-refining, collection rates are low in other parts of the world -- about 60% to 70% of the total, in comparison to 85% to 90% in Europe and North America. Furthermore, of the total oil collected, a significant portion is used as fuel, whereas re-refining accounts for a small percentage.
There are three key drivers for growth in the re-refining industry. First, growing virgin base stock prices due to high costs of crude oil have increased interest in re-refined base stocks. Second, improvements in re-refining technology have dramatically improved the quality of re-refined base stocks, allowing them to be used in blending of a growing range of lubricants. Third, regulation in Europe, and increasingly in North America, favours re-refining.
However, to achieve its potential, the re-refining industry will have to deal with a number of challenges. Chief among these are negative customer perceptions. End users who have no experience with re-refined base stocks equate them with poor quality, sub-standard, and adulterated products. They also tend to club all re-refining technologies and re-refined base stocks into one category. This hurts re-refiners who use advanced technologies to produce high quality base stocks. "Therefore, these companies need to set themselves apart from other re-refiners," notes Milind Phadke, industry manager at Kline's Energy practice. "This issue is particularly important in Asia, Africa, and in other low-cost markets where re-refined base stocks are equated with sub-standard, adulterated, and spurious products."
Another challenge is the industry's lopsided regional development. Re-refining has a significant presence in Europe and a growing presence in North America. In other parts of the world, however, it is practically non-existent. As the re-refining capacity in Europe has grown, the competition for the purchase of used oils and sales of re-refined base stocks has increased, much to the detriment of the industry. Also, to be able to market to global lubricant marketers, re-refined base stocks need to be available in a few standard specifications in all parts of the world. At present, this is not the case.
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| Aug 17, 2010 |
MACKENZIE CELEBRATES RETURN OF PULP MILL
On August 17, 2010 was proud to announce the grand re-opening of the Mackenzie pulp mill. This is an exciting time for the community of Mackenzie, BC. Please read the full press release below.
The restart of the Mackenzie pulp mill has generated approximately 220 direct jobs, 500 indirect jobs and provided the local community with a significant economic uplift, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today at a grand re-opening celebration.
“I would like to thank Paper Excellence for their valuable investment in the community of Mackenzie, the Omineca region and the province of British Columbia,” said Premier Campbell. “I also want to thank Minister Pat Bell, the McLeod Lake Indian Band, the entire community and all partners for working together to ensure working families in this region have an opportunity to build a future right here in Northern British Columbia.”
Premier Campbell was joined by Minister of Forests and Range and Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell, forest workers and their families, municipal leaders, local First Nations, union representatives, and people from many other sectors of the community to welcome Paper Excellence B.V. as the new mill owners.
“It’s a joy to see the Mackenzie pulp mill operating once again, providing jobs for workers and families and contributing to the economic health of the region,” said Bell. “The recent return to production and today’s celebration represent the culmination of many, many months of hard work, time and energy invested by a dedicated group of partners.”
The Ministry of Forests and Range played a key role in helping the Mackenzie pulp mill secure a new fibre supply. The ministry reached an economic development agreement with the McLeod Lake Indian Band that provides a five-year, four-million-cubic-metre fibre supply opportunity for the Mackenzie pulp mill.
The Province is also investing $10.75 million for an improved road, connecting the communities of Mackenzie and Fort St. James, to ensure logs and wood fibre for bioenergy can move more efficiently between the two communities.
The production capacity of the Mackenzie facility is more than 235,000 metric tons of market pulp annually. Paper Excellence expects its Mackenzie operation will supply 80 per cent of its product directly to affiliated mills in Asia, with the other 20 per cent going to customers in North America.
The mill first started to produce pulp again on Wednesday, Aug. 4 when they turned out a small batch in gearing up to once again become fully operational.
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| July 14, 2010 |
Guardol ECT® with Liquid Titanium™ Field Test
ConocoPhillips has conducted extensive testing of Guardol ECT® Synthetic Blend with Liquid Titanium™ in engine tests, bench tests and in field tests. The field trials corroborate the enhanced wear protection and extended drain capability of Guardol ECT® with Liquid Titanium™. The field trials, now extended to off-highway operations, show that the API CJ-4 Guardol ECT® with Liquid Titanium™ provides significant reduction in wear relative to the API CI-4 Plus quality engine oil. The increased wear protection for Liquid Titanium™ predicted from bench tests and engine tests has been validated in real-life applications, in on-highway and off-highway equipment.
Proof of Performance Field Tests
· Several, independently operated commercial fleets
· Several different engine platforms and vehicle types
· Operations under different conditions or service types
· Test monitored by used oil analysis
Field Test Update for Period Ending 1Q 2010
· Accumulated in excess of 4.4 MM cumulative oil miles in on-road applications at the end of 1Q 2010
· Corroborated the strong performance including enhanced wear protection from Liquid Titanium™ in on-road and off-road applications
Liquid Titanium™ enhanced engine oil shows improved wear protection with all engine platforms tested.
· Wear rate (PPM wear iron per 1000 oil miles or 100 oil hours) lower for oil with Liquid Titanium™ relative to oil without
· Mack field test data show very low wear in oil containing Liquid Titanium™ (no comparative data)
· In off-road service, API CJ-4 with Liquid Titanium™ shows significantly lower wear rate relative to API CI-4 Plus oil
Used oil viscosity, TBN depletion rate and Copper/Lead corrosion well in control and unaffected by Liquid Titanium™.
· 100C viscosity at oil drain similar between oils with and without Liquid Titanium™
· TBN at oil drain similar for oils with and without Liquid Titanium™
· Very low levels of Copper and Lead in used oil and similar between oils with and without Liquid Titanium™
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| Jun 10, 2010 |
The government of BC is planning to implement the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on July 1, 2010. On that date, the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) will be eliminated and the 7% BC rate will join the 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) resulting in a total HST rate of 12%. This tax implementation will change how UPPI invoices look and how the tax is calculated. The tax rate and exemptions will vary depending on the products.
gas, diesel and aviation fuel are eligible for the point-of-sale rebate of 7% for the BC component of the HST. This means you will be charged a rate of 5% instead of the full 12%. Where you normally see the GST rate of 5% on your invoice, you will now see a HST rate of 5%.
All lubricant products, including vehicle oil, grease, antifreeze and windshield wash will be charged the full 12% HST rate. There is actually no rate change as lubricants are currently charged both GST and PST.
Resellers will be charged the HST at the rates shown above; however resellers will be able to recover the HST when they complete their HST returns, with a similar process to how the GST is recovered now.
For more information on the upcoming HST and other products affected, please visit: http://hst.blog.gov.bc.ca to find the “What’s Taxable and What’s Not” list provided by the province of BC. |
May 04, 2010
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B.C.’s Carbon Tax at Work in 2010
Back in July, 2008 British Columbian’s starting paying the Carbon Tax on gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, propane and home heating fuel. The Province has returned nearly $2.9 million in Carbon Tax dollars generated in 2009, to local governments who are committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2012. The funding is provided through B.C.’s Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program.
To see the full list of BC communities who received a Climate Action Revenue Incentive Grant in 2010 please go to:http://tinyurl.com/3xwz5fb
The grant amounts represent 100 per cent of the Carbon Tax paid by these communities last year.
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Apr 01, 2010
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From April 21-23, United Petroleum took part in the Minerals North 2010 Tradeshow held in Prince George, B.C. This was an extremely successful annual event that drew over 400 delegates from across B.C., the Yukon and beyond. The focus this year was to showcase key exploration and advanced stage development projects that are anticipated to become the next generation of mines that will help sustain the northern economy.
The Minerals North Tradeshow gave UPPI a great opportunity to showcase our products and services to a large audience in an ever expanding industry. United Petroleum is already looking forward to the Minerals North 2011 Tradeshow in Stewart, BC.
Stayed tuned for more details on this and other industry tradeshows.
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| Mar 01, 2010 |
The economy is finally starting to show some signs of recovery here in BC. Unfortunately, the BC 2nd quarter (April, May & June) forecast for overall lubricant sales volumes aren’t showing the same optimistic signs of recovery. The demand for lubes in the 2nd quarter is expected to be flat.
Consumer behaviour is a huge indicator of how the lube industry will do throughout the year. The recession made consumers rethink how they repair and maintain their vehicles to help ensure they last longer. During tougher economic times, vehicle maintainers look for ways to save on the cost of engine oil changes and other vehicle service needs. This has a direct effect on lube sales throughout BC and across Canada.
As a result of people looking to save money on lubricant products and services, there is a noticeable oil-change behaviour shift. As the economic times get tougher, people are more willing to shop around for the best and most cost efficient option for oil changes. The DIFM (do-it-for-me) outlets will see consumers comparing prices to find the greatest possible value.
Overall oil sales volumes are expected to improve in 2010. However producers will continue to operate their facilities at reduced rates to keep the supply/demand balance.
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| Feb 01, 2010 |
Parkland Income Fund is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of Bluewave Energy, making Parkland Canada’s largest national independent fuel distributor. Parkland President and CEO Mike Chorlton said, “This is an exciting step for Parkland that broadens our geographic coverage and diversifies the markets we pursue, while following our strategic focus on fuel marketing to non-urban markets.”
Bluewave Energy is a petroleum distribution company with branches throughout Canada. Bluewave Energy delivers heating oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, lubricants and related products to residential customers, as well as commercial customers in the agriculture, transportation, construction and upstream oil and gas sectors. Bluewave also sells, services and finances heating, air conditioning, water heating and fuel storage equipment. In total, Bluewave Energy services more than 72,000 customers via a fleet of 185 delivery trucks.
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| Jan 01, 2010 |
On July 1, 2010 the BC Carbon Tax is scheduled to increase on all gas and diesel products. Please see the Carbon Tax rate changes below.
For a complete list of the Carbon Tax rate changes, please see:
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Product
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Current Carbon Tax Rate
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July 1, 2010 Carbon Tax Rate
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gasoline
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3.33¢/Litre
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4.45¢/Litre
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Diesel
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3.84¢/Litre
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5.11¢/Litre
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Furnace Oil
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3.84¢/Litre
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5.11¢/Litre
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Stove Oil
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3.84¢/Litre
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5.11¢/Litre
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Propane
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2.31¢/Litre
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3.08¢/Litre
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Aviation gasoline
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3.69¢/Litre
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4.92¢/Litre
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Jet Fuel
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3.92¢/Litre
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5.22¢/Litre
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As in the past, we would like to take this time to thank you for your business, loyalty, and continued support. Should you have any concerns regarding these news articles, please do not hesitate to contact us. |
* Note: You will need Adobe Reader to view and download some of the notices, click the button to your right if you need Adobe Reader.  |
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