Gasoline

Yea, there's branded gas and there's unbranded gas

 

Yah... is this a question?

 

I'm gonna say yes, though I'm not sure if you were telling us or asking us....

 

Shell gasoline is Shell gasoline. What makes up the brand is the additive and how much is injected. It's a very close secret to the company to tell it's formula. Even on the MSDS it will be listed as trade secret and just list it as fuel additive or petroleum additive. A dedicated Shell truck or any major brand that has a company's name on the trailer can only drop at that station. IOW's you'll never see a Shell truck unloading at a Exxon station unless the driver or dispatch is stealing the load. Now you'll see common carriers unloading at different stations but they load for a specific gasoline. At any Shell, Exxon, Hess, or any major brand they only sell what is theirs. If by chance a truck drops at a Shell and he should have dropped at Exxon the station has to pump it out or make sure that product meets their standard. It happens, we had a truck that was loaded with Unocal drop at our station. The driver unloaded 3500 gallons of super before he realized he was at the wrong station. Even the store manager was out there asking was he sure he was at the right station. The company (ARCO) had to get the spec's on Unocal's gasoline before they could sell it. Unocal had no claim on the product since it was in the ground. That station made out that day, don't know what happen to the driver.

 

@GasHauler , So is the secret additive added during the drop off at the vendors or does it come already mix from the pick up point ? For example, Costco gas is suppose to be tier 1 I believe (excellent quality) like Chevron, Shell, Unocal, is this true ?

 

I would not worry about that higher detail what's in the gasoline.

It's nice to learn the details etc. But it's not for you to know (Protected trade information...) I don't know either or care really. All I want is X gallons of this, going to such a station and dump into that hole in the ground.

That way the work is not overly complicated. Don't over think this.

There is a great deal of reasearch matter related to standard oil dating back 100 years on Google Books which has been opened to the public due to older than 75 year imposed statue of limitations, you can read all about additives to your hearts content.

 

when i hauled diesel, it would be picked up at the storage yards. i hauled branded diesel that was mixed there at the yards. (summer time or winter time blends) Shell, Mobil, Sunoco, have thier "base gasolines" (i was seeing this) and then the driver blended in the "special sauce" at the time of fill ups. the diesel fuel company i hauled for, also had a contract for Sunoco. I'd go there and pick up a tanker of gasoline, and i was being taught how the blending process works. sadly, it was only a short term job, and went back to diesel.

 

It's funny, in SLC we have a C-store chain called Maverik. They are well known for having cheap, low quality gas. They are also well know for constantly releasing statements claiming their fuel isnt low quality, that they pick it up at the same racks as everyone else, that it's the detergents that are brand specific.

Chevron released a statement that basically told them to stop having the secretary give press releases and to actually having a chemical engineer do the talking. Another company said ,"Well if that's the case, then We're Tide and you're the dollar store brand"

 

i saw this to be true. all gasolines must meet a minimum standard. the unbranded gasolines get picked up at the tank storage yards. they pick up from whomever the price of gasoline is cheapest THAT DAY.

it is indeed the blended ingredients that they just don't get, in order to keep thier costs low, and pass it onto the customers at thier stations.