As reported here last July, first Valvoline claimed its Synpower motor oil provided 4X better wear protection than Mobil 1. Then in December Valvoline turned up the heat by further stating that Mobil 1 5W-30 actually failed the Sequence IVA engine test, and not by a small margin.

Now Castrol has jumped on the bandwagon and raised the bar, claiming its new Castrol Edge "provides 8X better wear protection than Mobil 1 5W-30", again citing the Sequence IVA test.

Either Valvoline and Castrol have some amazing new oils, or ExxonMobil has a problem. Even if it turns out they don't have a technical problem, they sure as heck have a marketing challenge. Yet for whatever reasons, they remain silent - at least for now. I'm sure we'll hear from them soon!

For more information, see Castrol's website or tune into tonight's Super Bowl!

On November 19, 2007 JobbersWorld reported ConocoPhillips made a "Big Announcement" at it marketers meeting in Orlando Florida - the introduction of "Liquid Titanium" additive technology to its premium heavy-duty engine oils. Well it's now here. As of January 2, 2009, what ConocoPhillips calls the "New Era of Engine Protection," is on the streets.

According to Marshall Cohen, Director Brand Management ConocoPhillips, its new Liquid Titanium enhanced CJ-4 HDEO is now available in bulk and package quantities throughout the United States. And Cohen adds, "its marketers are fired up about the opportunities the new technology provides for them to further elevate their efforts in competing head-to-head on performance with leading competitive brands." Cohen says (confidently), "our Titanium enhanced HDEOs have the muscle to provide an excellent value proposition to end-use customers in these challenging economic times."

Steve Tarbox, Director, Product Management for ConocoPhillips, supports Cohen's confidence and its marketer's excitement when he points to benchmarking differentiation data they developed as the starting point to understand just how significant the performance advantages are for its new Titanium enhanced HDEO. According to Tarbox, "even without the new Titanium additive technology, Guardol ECT® and Kendall Super-D XA® demonstrated a number of superior product attributes compared to leading competitive brands." But, Tarbox adds, "By building on what was already a premium-performance platform, the new Titanium additive technology provides a significant performance boost to its already high quality HDEO." Specifically, Tarbox says, its new additive technology offers:

• Enhanced wear control in Cummins ISB test (15% reduction in Cam lobe wear, 46% reduction in Crosshead wear
• Reduced cam lobe wear in Sequence IVA test (API SM), 45% reduction in intake lobe wear
• HTCBT (D-6594) test results in equal or less corrosion with titanium containing oil showing no harm to copper or lead components
• Reduced bearing weight loss in Sequence VIII test show improved bearing protection, 9% reduction in bearing weight loss

Reginald Dias, Director, Commercial Products for ConocoPhillips says "The bottom line is that Liquid Titanium is a powerful additive that strongly bonds to metal surfaces at the molecular level, adding an extra layer of protection to further reduce wear on critical parts and help extend engine life. It also increases the oxidation stability of the oil, helping to prolong oil life during service. These product enhancements provide added value to fleet owners and operators by helping to improve engine performance, reduce maintenance, extend drain intervals, and protect the investment."

Green Earth Technologies, a leading manufacturer and marketer of "green" environmentally safe consumer packaged goods products, announced today that their G-OIL(TM) 4-Cycle 10W-30 Eco Engine Oil is now available to consumers at over 2,000 locations. The G-OIL(TM) 4-Cycle joins a list of "G"-Branded products currently available in stores including G-OIL(TM) 2-Cycle engine oil and G-OIL(TM) Bar and Chain. All G-OIL products are made with domestically grown feed stocks and are recyclable, renewable and ultimate biodegradable.

G-OIL(TM) 4-Cycle 10W-30 Eco Engine Oil can be purchased at national home and hardware centers and is recommended for use wherever SAE 10W-30 or SAE 30 oil is specified. Applications include equipment for lawn and garden, small tractors, log splitters, compressors, generators, steam and pressure cleaners/washers and pumps. G-OIL(TM) 4-Cycle 10W-30 Eco Engine Oil meets the American Petroleum Institutes' standards for Service SM as well as the prior Service SL and SJ.

"We are very excited to offer a new 'G'-Branded engine oil to our consumers and retail partners who are increasingly looking for environmentally friendly products," says Jeff Marshall, Chairman and CEO of Green Earth Technologies. "We predict that G-OIL(TM) 4-Cycle 10W-30 Eco Engine Oil will generate significant business especially as we enter Spring and consumers begin to manage their lawns and spend more time outdoors."

ABOUT GREEN EARTH TECHNOLOGIES Green Earth Technologies says, "Green Earth Technologies produces "G"-Branded superior performing totally green products made with American-grown base oils that utilize the power of nanotechnology to deliver environmentally friendly products with no compromise... meaning, consumers can now "do their part" without having to give up performance or value: Save the Earth -- Sacrifice Nothing. The G-brand family of products include G-OIL(TM), G-LUBE(TM), G-WASH(TM), G-GLASS(TM), G-CLEAN(TM), G-SCENT(TM), G-WHEEL(TM), G-PROTECT(TM) and G-TIRE(TM), and are offered in a wide range of automotive categories including performance and appearance chemicals. GET products are now available at The Home Depot, Kroger, VIP, National Auto, Fred Meyer, Joe's, participating ACE & True Value dealers, Redners, Trader Horns, The Andersons, Biggs, Bennett Auto, Frank's Auto Supermarket and Amazon.com."

Although JobbersWorld got it right when we first ran the story that Shasta County District Attorney Jerry Benito joined with the District Attorneys of Monterey, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties to settle a consumer protection case filed against Wal-Mart, the makers of "Wal-Mart SuperTech Gear Oil", and their manufacturer, Warren Distribution, it seems Shasta County didn't when an earlier version of its press release incorrectly identified the defendant as "Warren Oil".

The Office of The District Attorney County of Shasta corrected the mistake with a revised press release dated January 16, 2009.

The revised press release from the OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY COUNTY OF SHASTA says:

On Tuesday, January 6, 2009, Shasta County District Attorney Jerry Benito announced that his office joined with the District Attorneys of Monterey, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties to settle a consumer protection case filed against Wal-Mart, the makers of "Wal-Mart SuperTech Gear Oil", and their manufacturer, Warren Distribution. The initial investigation arose out of inspections of Wal-Mart SuperTech Gear Oil by Shasta County Weights and Measures, Petroleum Division officials. Investigators found that the gear oil did not meet the advertised viscosity levels, in violation of California law. The investigation broadened, and the prosecutors joined forces to undertake statewide legal action to eradicate the problem. Wal-Mart's SuperTech gear oil is made by Warren Distribution, a Nebraska corporation.

An earlier version of this press release incorrectly identified the defendant as "Warren Oil".

On January 27th, Ashland Inc. announced preliminary results for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008, the first quarter of Ashland's 2009 fiscal year. Although some of the news was good,

Ashland Consumer Markets' (Valvoline) sales and operating revenue was $388 million, up 2 percent over the December 2007 quarter, due to increased average selling prices. Lubricant volume declined 17 percent. This reduction was primarily driven by the Do-It-For-Me market's installer channel. Valvoline Instant Oil Change continued to post strong results as company-owned stores increased car counts, driving same-store sales up 9 percent, and the number of franchise units increased by 7 percent. Overall gross margins declined in the quarter, although they did start to recover in the month of December as base oil cost decreases began to positively impact results. Selling, general and administrative expenses declined 10 percent, primarily a result of both lower overhead and advertising expenses. Consumer Markets generated $28 million of EBITDA, even with the year-ago quarter, and EBITDA represented 7.2 percent of sales.

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