But, can anyone post a link to a thread about diesel fuel comparison/quality? Is there such a thing? What I mean is, every place I have mailed, Shell, Texaco, Citgo, Mobil, BP, Exxon, etc etc etc, have all referred me to the Chevron web-site (http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/), for information on their fuel. Does Chevron refine diesel fuel for the entire U.S.? This is my latest mail (fom Texaco) but like I said... they have all been saying something similar to "the best information you can find is located at one of our competitors web-site..." and the chevron address.

I upoaded the attachment they sent me, and you can get it HERE (http://camandchristine.250free.com/sample/diesel_typicals_1998-99.doc).



Thank you for your inquiry. It has been forwarded to us here at
ChevronTexaco Fuels Technical Service.

We think we have some information that will be of use to you. The
following Chevron website has Chevron publications on fuels. You will
probably be most interested in the one entitled, "Diesel Fuels Technical
Review (http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/diesel/)".

www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/ (http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/)

As you probably know, the American Society for Testing & Materials
(ASTM) specification D 975, entitled "Standard Specification for Diesel
Fuel Oils" is the specification that the oil industry follows. All
Chevron diesels will meet the ASTM specification. The specification is
mentioned in many places within the document we cite above. You could
get a copy of this specification by contacting ASTM at:

www.astm.org/ (http://www.astm.org/)

Chevron does not market diesel additives, but Chevron diesel should not
need such things as lubricating additives since Chevron makes certain
the fuels already have the needed lubricity by adding such additives
before the customer ever sees the fuel on the market.

The main difference between the winter and summertime diesel fuels is
either the addition of additive or the addition of diesel no. 1 to
diesel no. 2 to reduce the cloud point of the fuel in colder climates in
the winter. The fuel that is marketed in an area should already have the
needed blends to deal with the cold expected in the area.

We believe part of the reason that Chevron has quality fuel is the fact
that much effort goes into the quality control concerns the company has
for the fuel, from the upstream drilling all the way to the service
station. Fuel is constantly being tested in our laboratories to
determine its quality and agreement with specifications, both ASTM and
Chevron specifications.

You may like to peruse some documents that cover the specifications and
average values for some of the properties of Chevron diesel from several
of the Chevron refineries in the United States. Even though the dates on
these documents appear old, the data remain current. "HS" refers to high
sulfur diesel. "LS" refers to low sulfur diesel. While the low sulfur
content maximum is only guaranteed at 0.05 mass percent for now, this
number will continue to go down in the future and Chevron will continue
to meet the newer, lower levels of sulfur required. Chevron is able to
produce a diesel with sulfur as low as 15 parts per million (0.0015 mass
percent) but is not as yet marketing it as such. The WORD document
holding the property information is attached to this message.

To find out what service stations carry diesel fuel, please call our
Consumer Connection Center at: 1-800-962-1223.

I started a thread a while back about filling up with different brands and getting much different milages out of each brand. The general theme seemed to be that Chevron had fuel that got better milage than most others.
Someone did say that they only fill up at one station in their area know as the other station that sells the same brand of fuel doesn't give good milage results.

My semi basic understanding is that you can almost measure diesel quality by the milage you get.

Did you ever watch the show MODERN MARVELS gasoline tech?

It basically explained that all fuel in the US is shipped through a common fuel line. For example, Phillips 66 in Chicago will " rent the pipline for 18 hours."

However that would take like 5 days to get from Texas to Chicago. So they just give them what is already in the pipe. They consider fuel exspongable or generic.

Gasoline and diesel actualy travel in the same pipe. The small amount that gets mixed is sold to buyers who want mixed fuel. They refine it later.


The only difference in fuel is the additive. So every company has there own special additive package. The additive is mixed when they fill the truck that comes to your station.

So premium #2 is suppose to have an additive as compared to #2 that has no additive.

I really do not understand all the facts but personal experience tells me that some fuel does perform better than others.

BTW 10% of the fuel is manufacture specific, and Cheveron does most of that. So Cheveron stations actually may carry Chevron fuel. ????????

I saw that show Modern Marvels about fuel. You are right. ALL fuel travels the same pipe line to its destination. The individual companys add their additives at their own storage tanks. So I would assume, by watching that program, that the difference in the final product is created by the individual additives added by the company (Hess, Texaco, Chevron, Exxon, Mobil, Shell, etc).

I think it would be very hard to compare company to company, state to state,
because the additives are mixed after the fuel is delivered from the pipeline.
Just my $0.02.

It was a very interesting and educating show. It made me wonder why fuel prices vary so much from place to place. I guess it has to be taxes and state
regs.

maybe im not understanding you guys, but i dont think all fuel is delieverd by pipe. The fuel that a gas station gets is from the closest refinery in the area. It is then delivered by truck

i think im missing something here but oh well.......


edit....i was misreading comments above. nothing to see here

Despite the fact that the different products flow down the same line, they mix very little to not at all. Each "parcel" is usually in the thousands, if not millions of gallons. Essentially all fuel products make the long haul in the US via pipeline. Trucks are only used at the depots for local delivery, though local could be several hundred miles in some parts of the country. I've invested in some of the pipeline stocks and the networks are HUGE.

Thanks for some replies fellers.... It is confusing to me, because I have worked at a gas station and know that the same truck from the same company delivered fuel to us (exxon), shell, and reacetrac. But i also know that in one of my cars particularly it would run like dog @$#* if I didn't use Ammoco.

i drive the same 1000 mile route from northern wisconsin to western north carolina and can,t get the same mileage from tank to tank. in other words one tank of fuel i will get 14 mpg doing 70 mph on i65 and the next tank of fuel i will get 18 mpg. doing the same 70 mph farther up i65 the same day, etc. it has to be the fuel!! the terrain in indiana doesn't vary that much, i'm using cruise, hand calc. mileage!
part of the difference is #2 vs blended fuel---blended fuel lowers my mileage down to that 14mpg mark. but even in the summer mileage varies all over the place????
a friend of mine owns a fuel busines in west. nc and i have gone to the tank farms at the end of the pipeline at spartanburg, sc to get gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, kerosine, etc. and he goes from co. to co.(kerr-mcgee, murphy, ect.) and buys product where it is available, some companies have quotas, where the price is cheapest, or on some days (nights) the line is shortest! his gas station does not sell branded fuel but there are lots of trucks there doing contract hauling for major brands. like someone said these haulers specify what "brand" of fuel they want and it is "blended" going into the truck.
my .02
ronde