Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) officials announced August 4 that they’ve inked an “agency agreement” with Aman Trading and Engineering (AT&E) to provide Egyptian National Railways (ENR) with a variety of products and service support for ENR’s fleet of EMD locomotives.

For the first time in history, diesel new-car sales in the United Kingdom have overtaken gasoline new-car sales, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) latest survey from July 2010.

Caterpillar subsidiary Progress Rail on August 2 completed the purchase of Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) for US$820 million in cash, plus a net working capital adjustment estimated at approximately $108 million, from Berkshire Partners LLC and Greenbriar Equity Group LLC.

Ford officials announced August 3 that they’re boosting torque in the 6.7-liter “Power Stroke” V8 diesel used in “F-Series” trucks to 800 pounds-feet, along with a 10-horsepower boost to 400.

European Investment Bank (EIB) officials announced August 2 that they’ve decided to loan €220 million (US$290 million) to John Deere for research and development on low-emissions agriculture equipment.

Chinese officials unveiled a plan for gasoline and diesel to meet Euro-4 (50 parts per million sulfur) limits nationwide by 2011, with Euro-5 (10-ppm sulfur) nationwide by 2016, according to a report from Beijing Daily.

Sinopec officials reported in late July that first-half 2010 diesel sales jumped 13% compared to 1H 2009.

Thailand’s National Environment Board last week approved the expansion of Euro-4 (50 parts per million sulfur) fuels to the Rayong region starting in 2011, one year ahead of a nationwide Euro-4 standard in 2012, according to a Bangkok Post report last week.

Unless Nigeria’s federal government adopts a fuel-price deregulation policy immediately, “the country may be heading for financial crisis,” according to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Partial decontrol of petroleum prices won’t prevent India’s three biggest state-owned oil companies from piling up huge losses this fiscal year, according to a Press Trust of India report.

Russia-based Rosneft officials reported August 2 that corporate-wide net income rose 1.9%, to US$2.47 billion, for second quarter of 2010, compared to US$2.4 billion net income in 1Q 2010.

Neste Oil officials announced July 29 that because of a major turnaround at the company’s Porvoo, Finland, refinery, second-quarter 2010 profit fell to €5 million (US$6.5 million), compared to €47 million (US$61 million) in 2Q 2009.

Ecopetrol – the mostly state-owned oil company of Colombia – realized a 30% jump in middle distillate sales in second-quarter 2010 versus 2Q 2009.

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, is moving to Euro-4 (50 parts per million sulfur) limits for gasoline this month, with Euro-4 diesel introduction following in 2011, according to a China Petrochemical News report quoted by Reuters.

More than 9,000 hectares of Jatropha plants destined for a biodiesel scheme were “completely destroyed” in India’s Chhattisgarh state in recent years, according to a report from Sify Finance (India).

Diesel Fuel News is on summer holidays. Our next issue is August 23.

Ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) prices in major world spot and futures markets moved up last week on indications of sharp reductions in floating storage in key areas, despite record ULSD stocks in the U.S. market.

Distillate spot and futures prices moved higher last week.