Oil in the Gulf

So am I.

The way I understood it, the oil companies don't neccesarily have the same oil they dug out of the ground due to the piping and refining systems, but the stations only bought from their provider.

 

Call it as you want, I don't really care how you make up your mind. I've worked with gas stations all over the US over the last 9 years. It's up to the individual companies to do what they want. They're not all BP corporate, Shell corporate, etc. It's local business owners who decide who they want to buy from. Some may buy exclusively. Others do not - they meet or exceed their quota.

 

Wouldn't they then fall under false advertisement laws if they have anything showing the special additives at a station, or if they sell gasoline under a different octane level than it's listed on the pump?

 

Zach, you're essentially claiming that Chevron stations can put up a big sign that says Chevron with Techron, but then don't necessarily sell you what they're advertising... there are laws against that sort of thing.

You are also essentially claiming that the exxon fuel truck carries other brand fuels as I have only seen an exxon truck at the local station (once a week) in the past 8 or so years I've lived here.

I understand they're mostly local/operator owned. I'm not questioning that part. I'm questioning your bait and switch claim.

I'm not saying there aren't going to be stations that do that... there are plenty out there I would never buy fuel from (just look like they'll have rust and water in their tanks sort of thing - dirty station begets dirty tanks IMO). I only ever get fuel from clean maintained facilities as I hope that says something about their underground maintenance as well.

You're making some pretty far reaching claims... I'm not saying you're wrong, but I am saying it sounds sketchy.

Working with fuel stations for 9 years doesn't say much... I've worked with them as long as I've been buying fuel... So does my uncle who delivers there shelf items and my dad who did all the A/C work for the Love stations... none of us have insight on their fuel purchases though...


Past that, when it comes to generic stations or the Kroger or HEB stations, I wouldn't doubt it - but those aren't branded with an oil company logo either...

 

Octane levels must be consistent. I haven't questioned the additives, etc. but that's a good question and one I'll ask about. We have a large shell customer who is locally based and I'll get with them on that.

 

Well, different stations have different octane numbers. If Shell is blending 90 and 88, and Exxon is blending 89, then a Shell station can't really be buying Exxon, or visa versa, without switching the numbers on the pump. I haven't really examined a pump (I live in Jersey, we aren't allowed to pump for ourselves), but it doesn't look like it's all that easy to change that label.

 

You don't think there's different octanes available for purchase at the racks? They can also blend the number of gallons of each to meet their advertised grade. The tankers have separate compartments for different grades. Of course the station will buy the appropriate grade for their pumps. Usually depending on the pump, the grade ratings are just stickers, as well. Gotta love Jersey. You and Oregon are the only two

 

Well, the ones I've seen are mostly under the plastic of the button itself, which doesn't seem to have any easy access to remove. Rarely do I see pumps with octane stickers that are outside of the button. I do know there's multiples, usually at least 3, and some Shells have 4. I pay a decent amount of attention, for not needing to actually do anything with the pump.

The blending might pose problems with the actual grade of gas dispensed at the pump. I imagine there's nothing to agitate the mixture down in the tanks, to get some uniformity, as opposed to the tanks they would mix the gas and additives in.

The other problem that hasn't been addressed is the tankers. I've never seen a Exxon tanker at BP, or a BP tanker at Sunoco. What's up with that?

 

Seems this thread has gone in a different direction than originally intended. Please take this conversation to PM so that we don't stray any further from the original topic. Thanks!

 

And finally the relief wells are being dug, hu? At least the centrifuge machines are taking some of that stuff out.

Still not happy though. Fines should be administered left and right.