Need Gas? Get the most gas from the sources not engaged in war

Sent to me from a buddy of mine. There are some good tips here.

Per our discussion yesterday...�Subject:�Need Gas? Get the most gas from the sources not engaged in war
TIPS ON PUMPING GAS��
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline....� but here in� California we are also paying higher, up to $4.00 per�gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here� are some tricks to� get more of your money's worth for every gallon..

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver� about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and� premium grades.� We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.� Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning� when the ground� temperature is still cold. Remember that all service� stations have their� storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground� the more dense� the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so� bu ying in the� afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. �In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum� products plays an� important role.
A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.���When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast� mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three� (3)stages: low,� middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low� speed, thereby� minimizing the vapors that are created while you are� pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the� fast rate, some� other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL� or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.�
Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is� being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.�
DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!�

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON�

Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor.�
An interesting thought is to boycott their gas. Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.
I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:�

Shell........................... 205,742,000 barrels
Che vron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels�
Exxon/Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway... 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco............................62,231,000 barrels�
Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you
do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is
now $116 a barrel)

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:�

Sunoco..................0 barrels
Conoco................. 0 barrels
Sinclair..................0 barrels
BP/Phillips.............0 barrels
Hess......................0 barrels
ARC0.....................0 barrels
If you go to Sunoco.com<HTTP: sunoco.com %3E> , you� will get a list of the station locations near you.� All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.

 

Always Check Your Snopes

 

The tips may not be completely accurate, but what about the places to buy it? Do some companies NOT import from the middle east? Costco??

 

Aren't Amoco and BP/Arco the same company?

 

Thanks Kaosdad for enlightening us even further.
Snopes is a good site that I forgot about.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/news/international/usgas_price/index.htm?section=money_topstories

Not a bad synopsis of the situation.

This one is even better....

http://www.energytomorrow.org/energy_issues/truth_about_oil_gasoline_primer.pdf

Very simple and straightforward compared to my comments below

On the issue of crude importers - What winds up in your gas tank is not going to be able to be traced back to a country of origin. Refiners buy crude based on economics and availability which are in part based on what their machinery can handle best. Crude can be thick and nasty or lighter and fluid. They have different metals, sulfur and other compounds within them. Each country has a "flavor" of their crudes. Think of them as craft beer brewers. You probably have a preference yourself.

Refiners often buy and sell crudes at load port, in-transit, at destination port or in the pipeline after it has been discharged from the ship. Title ownership can change many times along the way. Companies that may buy or import Arabian crude may not actually use that crude and vice-versa. The market and supply chain systems try to ensure the right crudes gets to the right refineries for the lowest cost.

It is impossible to be know that you aren't buying gasoline that was made from Arabian crude. The base gasoline and chemical products that come out of the back-end of the refining process may also get bought and sold many times along the way to your tank or home.

The supply chain is very complex and very integrated. The market place is extremely efficient. If somehow you could stop buying Arabian crude entirely, you'd just drive up the cost of other non-Arabian crudes (because total crude supply is limited)and your gasoline at the end of the day would cost even more or other countries (like China) would just start buying it instead.

But if your goal is to reduce imports and/or reduce your price at the pump, then the easiest way to do that is to open up more supply or reduce your own purchases in general. Use less gasoline in total or open up drilling closer to home. They aren't options we like to hear.

 

Why can't we drill more here? Why is that option automatically off the table?

 

It is a political issue. The location of potential new reserves (e.g. Alaska, Pacific Coast, etc) have been deemed too environmentally sensitive to allow drilling. It goes back to energy policy - which can be changed - but hasn't.

 

Let's be held hostage then to unrealistic environmental extremists. I think high gas prices are a good thing--it will force us to conserve, be smarter and hopefully summon the courage to increase our own supplies.

Apparently, courage is lacking in our politicians, though they are quick to blame oil companies and everyone else...when, in fact, they are largely to blame for their ridiculous ethanol mandates, subsidies and onerous gas taxes...not to mention the fact they haven't done one thing to increase our own supplies. And these are the same people who want to manage our healthcare?!

 

or at least we can learn from the following students who make their own fuel @ $1.10 per gallon including fuel tax.....

http://www.wesh.com/automotive/16093985/detail.html

"For as little as $1,000 for equipment, anyone can make bio-fuel too."

 

I know a guy who outfitted his Mercedes so it runs on vegetable oil. He notices no differences other than it smells like french fries from time to time.

 

Isn't vegetable oil significantly more expensive than gasoline?

 

Heck, a gallon of water costs more at Sunoco than a gallon of gas (if bought by the pint or quart)!

 

Thanks for those interesting tips on how to get (and keep) more gas per fillup.

However, calling out where the gas comes from is really irrelevant. Oil is a commodity which is priced and sold globally, so the Saudis will get the same price for their oil whether it travels to China, the US or into Europe. If you're buying oil that came from South America you are still contributing to the global demand for oil.

 

This is true. However, everytime I fill up, I can't help but to think that all we Americans are doing by buy gas is financing the terrorists. Boy, we need real, commercially viable alternatives to Middle Eastern oil now.