Yet another gasoline thread

[rookie1]

With gasoline prices hovering around $2 a gallon, the blame game has begun and political partisans are looking to settle scores. As per usual, however, the political theatrics are drowning out the real but complicated story behind the price spike.

Rising crude oil prices explain some of the price increase. Since November, the price of West Texas crude has climbed $5.60 a barrel; translated into gasoline prices, that's about 13 cents per gallon.

But gas prices have jumped by more than twice that — by 29 cents per gallon.
The crude-price increase is not the result of production cutbacks. Despite OPEC's announced cuts, cartel production rose by about 1 million barrels a day since last year. Non-OPEC production is up another 1.5 million barrels a day.

But demand is increasing faster than production, particularly in China. Red-hot economic growth in Asia is driving the world crude market.

If we accept that about 13 cents of the price increase for a gallon of gas since November is because of surging demand for crude, that leaves 16 cents unaccounted for. Some of the price spike can be attributed to the temporary rise we see about this time every year, when refineries switch from making winter-time gas blends to more expensive but environmentally friendly summer blends.

Tight oil-refining capacity is also playing a role — not because environmentalists have shut the door on capacity expansions, but because demand for gasoline in the Far East is claiming almost all the previous unused capacity.

A tight market, however, means suppliers can charge more for gasoline. Profit margins in the refining sector are up, which means investment in new refining capacity will follow.

New environmental regulations, however, threaten to dampen the incentives to invest in new refining capacity for the American market. Of particular concern is a new federal rule that began to take effect this year requiring refineries to strip most of the sulfur out of gasoline . Retooling refineries to meet the new standard is a major one-time expense. Refineries in Europe and Japan have already done it to comply with similar regulatory standards. Many U.S. refineries will lay out the needed capital, but others are expected to simply close — and some already have.

Another Green hammer threatening the refining sector is the prohibition of MTBE (an oxygenate made from petroleum) that takes effect this year for gasoline sold in the California, New York and Connecticut markets.

Background:

Federal law requires areas that are in violation of national clean air standards to use oxygenated fuel. Now that MTBE is out of the picture, the only oxygenate left to those areas is ethanol . But ethanol costs more than MTBE-mixed fuel to make and transport; those costs will surely show up to some degree in gasoline prices this summer. Moreover, carving-up special gasoline regulations for different parts of the country increases the chance that unforeseen supply disruptions will send prices in those "island markets" soaring.

There's little we can do about world crude prices — and little we should do about the new sulfur rules. But the federal oxygenated-fuel requirement is another matter.

Before computer-controlled fuel-injection cars came along, the oxygenate rule did indeed reduce pollution. But 20 years later, the rule serves no environmental purpose. Instead, it is simply a welfare program for the Midwestern corn-based ethanol industry.

New York Gov. George Pataki has asked the EPA for a waiver of the oxygenate rule, but the EPA has not acted on his request. Not only should the EPA provide the waiver, Congress should scrap the oxygenate rule altogether.

That having been said, there's little else we can do but ride this price spike out. High prices will induce new supply faster than will governmental bureaucrats or politicians. There's no conspiracy afoot — just the periodic gyrations of Mr. Supply and Ms. Demand on the economic dance floor. Getting in their way will only prolong and worsen the spike.

Peter Van Doren is editor of Regulation magazine, published by the Cato Institute. Jerry Taylor is Cato's director of natural resource studies.

[Cobra25]

Gasoline around $2.00 per gallon in Indiana! Some some of that premium gas down here in South Florida average around here is $2.26 per gallon.

[rookie1]

Gasoline around $2.00 per gallon in Indiana! Some some of that premium gas down here in South Florida average around here is $2.26 per gallon.

That's a copy and paste of an article I just read. I just paid 2.27 a freakin gallon for a 38 dollar fill up here.

[Dr Caleb]

Gas here is 89.9/l, or 99.9/l for the 92 octane, 10% ethanol.

That translates to 3.77 per gallon. For our 69l tank, that's almost $70 to fill up. Our closest refinery is about 15 minutes away, so they can't blame transportation costs. Some places in BC are over 1.20/l or 4.54 per gallon!

The Competition bureau is looking into allegations of price fixing, but like the other twenty times they've looked, they won't find anything. The reason gas is so high is because reserves, not production, are so low. Find out why that decision was made, and you'll uncover the price fixing.

Ever notice when the price of oil (for June delivery) goes up, there is an immediate rise at the pump, but when it goes down, prices at the pump do not drop for a couple weeks? And the oil companies expect us to believe there is no price fixing???

[djcoak]

The price spike and the switch over is a big farse in my opinion. It seems the price creeps up and goes down but never back to where it started from. It would seem if Gas was 1.50 it would spike to say 1.60 then go back to 1.50 when the switch was done. But instead it may drop to 1.52. Then when they switch again it goes to say 1.62 then settles later at 1.55. Does that make sense?

[Dr Caleb]

Since it costs less and less to pump and refine a barrell of crude each year, you would think.

In most free markets, costs and prices go down, profits go up. Competition makes prices as low as possible, in a free market.

But when you are dealing with a product that people *need*, that rule does not apply. If people *must* buy your product, you can charge whatever the market will bear. See: Microsoft, AT&T, any drug company, any supplier of military hardware.

Until fuel cell technology matures, we're stuck with the old "oops I dropped my bar of soap" routine.

[David Morton]

Very informative Rookie1.

But you left out the part about the refinery that made California grade gasoline being decomissioned two years ago when every analyst said at the time it was insane and designed to create a shortage that would reverberate into all of the US markets. Contrary to popular belief there are only a handfull of refineries in the whole world and that one was, correct me if I'm wrong, one of only two such refineries in the North American continent.

Conspiracy? We won't know unless we can find out what the hell they were talking about at that Dicks' :pimp: Energy Task Force.

[Cobra25]

Premium gas outside Ft Lauderdale $2.32 gallon. And still climing.

[junehhan]

Now that was a good read. I just filled up here at the local BP station for $2.35 a gallon for a $37 fillup :(

Oh well, I guess it's not a a bad thing that I got rid of my Discovery SUV for the Marauder.

[rookie1]

More interesting stuff:

API Monthly Statistical Report News Release
WASHINGTON, May 19— Gasoline production reached an all-time high for April, API’s Monthly Statistical Report said, at nearly 8.69 million barrels per day, an increase of 2.8 percent from a year ago. Year-to-date gasoline production, up 4.2 percent, also reached an all-time high averaging 8.45 million barrels per day. Distillate output also reached the highest April output level on record, API said, at 3.85 million barrels per day. Refinery utilization picked up seasonally in April, API reported, with the average utilization rate at 92.5 percent compared with the first quarter average of about 89 percent.

Petroleum deliveries, a key measure of demand, rose 4.8 percent in April over year-ago levels, boosted by increases for gasoline and distillate fuel oil, API’s report said. Year-to-date growth in the U.S. for petroleum deliveries was 2.8 percent.

Gasoline deliveries rose 4.2 percent against weak deliveries a year ago, API reported, as the economic recovery helped to strengthen demand. Distillate deliveries increased 6.3 percent. Jet fuel deliveries experienced their first year-to-year increase for a January-April period since 2001.

Crude oil inventories rose 7 million barrels in April, API reported. Ending April at 299.9 million barrels, they nearly reached 300 million barrels, a level that crude stocks have not seen since July 2002. Gasoline inventories fell about 1 million barrels, the first April decline in gasoline inventories since 1998. At 196 million barrels, they dipped below the 200 million barrel mark for the first April since 1997 and were 12 million barrels below the recent-year average for the month.

Crude oil imports held relatively steady in April compared with a year ago, but product imports fell 8.3 percent, API said. A large part of the decline for products was in the form of gasoline and gasoline blending components. Gasoline-related imports fell 20 percent from last April’s all-time high of 1.1 million barrels per day.

Domestic crude oil production fell 2.4 percent in April, continuing the string of declines that has persisted since December, API’s report said. Declines in recent years would have been much greater had it not been for new production from offshore, particularly as technological advances have made it practical to explore and produce in water depths that once had been considered out of reach.

Gasoline deliveries this April were likely spurred by a much-improved economy whose effect might have been even stronger were it not for the increase in retail prices so far in 2004, API said. The average price for regular in April was $1.798 per gallon, according to Energy Information Administration data. That was 13 percent higher than a year ago, when prices had just begun to ease from the highs seen after Venezuelan exports had been curtailed in late 2002, API said. This April’s retail price average was some 22 percent higher than in December. Prices for crude oil have risen sharply in recent months, rising from a low in September of around $27 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate to over $37 per barrel at month’s end.

Despite higher gasoline prices, strong growth in personal income has likely been bolstering gasoline demand, API reported. Real disposable personal income rose more than 4 percent over year-ago levels in the first quarter, according to the most recent government data. This year’s first quarter growth, the strongest year-to-year comparison since mid-2002, likely spurred some additional gasoline consumption.

[junehhan]

More good reading.............

[MENINBLK]

A few weeks back, there was a post suggesting that we AVOID those companies
that import oil from the Persian sector of the world for use as a fuel.

I took that suggestion and contacted the US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, and got back a very informative EMAIL from them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your inquiry to the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) National Energy Information Center.

The Energy Information Administration is a policy-neutral statistical and analytical agency established within the Department of Energy (DOE) when it was formed in 1977. EIA neither formulates nor advocates any policy conclusions, even though it often provides analyses and statistics to those entities within Congress and the Executive Branch that do determine U.S. energy policy.

NOTE: The URLs in this e-mail message are quite long. The URLs may get broken by line breaks when displayed by your e-mail software. You may have to cut and paste the entire URL into your Web browser rather than just clicking on the URL from your e-mail software

Although, EIA does not track the origin of gasoline at the retail level, the agency does track imports of gasoline and crude oil by company and country of origin. You may access "Company Level Petroleum Imports", via the EIA web site ( Home Page http://www.eia.doe.gov/ ), by sliding your computer mouse over the drop-down label, "By Fuel" and clicking on "Petroleum;" the Petroleum Channel (Page) provides the information you wish to obtain, and this data can be viewed by clicking the button on the right entitled, "Company-Level Petroleum Imports" or at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/cli.html . You may be interested in a feature posted on the Company Level Imports (CLI) page, EIA's "Primer on Gasoline Sources and Markets" found at the top of the CLI page or at http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/contactexperts.htm . EIA provides a ranking of companies that imported crude oil from Persian Gulf countries in 2003 at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/summary2003.html .

To download the more detailed monthly spreadsheet files, click on the XLS link and open it if prompted to do so. If you are not prompted to open the file, you may need to save the files to a directory on your PC, and then open them using your preferred spreadsheet software.

For an explanation of the column headings used in the spreadsheet files, see: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/cli_explanation.html

All EIA data is public and anyone is free to review, download, print and/or utilize EIA. The Energy Information Administration kindly requests, if you cite EIA data, that EIA is referenced as the source.

I hope this information will be of assistance to you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The link about the ranking of companies that imported crude oil from Persian Gulf countries in 2003
is a very interesting find. This shoud prove to be the most useful list in
letting your neighbor know how they can help fight the terrorists
by not sending their gasoline money to the Persian countries !!!

[MENINBLK]

Despite higher gasoline prices, strong growth in personal income has likely been bolstering gasoline demand, API reported. Real disposable personal income rose more than 4 percent over year-ago levels in the first quarter, according to the most recent government data. This year’s first quarter growth, the strongest year-to-year comparison since mid-2002, likely spurred some additional gasoline consumption.

I don't know where this stuff comes from.
If they had asked me, I would have told them that I haven't seen a raise in SIX YEARS !!!

[Gunslinger]

Keep in mind this is an election year. I would imagine that Bush's advisors know they have to reduce the price of gas since approval points are becoming so much more important.

I'm a proponent of keeping control of Iraqi oil fields as repayment for their freedom. We can give them a cut if you want, but I think we've earned it.

Hopefully our gasoline consumption will be reduced drastically in the next ten years. One trip to the mid-east is all I care to make.

[Bluerauder]

Exxon 93 is back down to $2.049 in my part of Northern Virginia. My last fill up was $2.299. That's a 25 cent difference between fill-ups. This is a darn roller coaster -- personally I think it has more to do with smoke and mirrors than any of the pap that the oil companies and economists try to feed us. Have you ever heard of a "rich economist"? Like they really have a lock on what happening .... their predictions and forecasts generally have a lower accuracy rate than Madame Esmerelda and her Crystal Ball.

My $0.02 (or 0.0097609 gallon this week) :lol:

[Svashtar]

Bottom line in all these gas threads and no one has answered the question that has been asked several times. That is, the MM manual says DO NOT use gas cut with ethanol, but evidently some folks do. The manual doesn't say it's Ok to use it if it's only 5 or 10%, it says just don't use it period.

My problem is the so-called premium gas out here in CA at 91 octane is cut with MTBE. I know for a fact that my fuel economy on all my vehicles decreased radically when this garbage was first put into our gas, so I was very happy to see '76 out advertise that their gas was MTBE free, so ordered one of their credit cards. Pulled up to their pump the other day and there it was printed on the pump "this gas contains ethanol." Swell. Guess I have to stick with the MTBE junk from Chevron. Or, as I suspect, the ethanol just serves the same purpose as the MTBE polluted gas and both would give crappy mileage.

The gas I want is the gas I used to pump into cars when I was 17: Union 76 ethyl 95 octane!

Thanks,

Norm

[MENINBLK]

I want all of you to take notice to this...

OUR FEDERAL GOV'T has BANNED the use of MTBE in ANY FUEL.
MTBE is Methyl Butyl Ethanol (Methanol).
This has been proven to be a carcinogen and it has been found
in our water supplies as it falls out of the atmosphere.

They are now using ETHANOL (GRAIN ALCOHOL) in place of ETHANOL,
because it is an excellent cleaning agent, it is a great oxidizer,
and it will NOT harm our fuel tanks or any rubber materials used in the fuel,
emissions, or engine systems.

This is NOT MTBE. Ethanol is about as pure as 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
It is very clean and does not hurt anything it comes in contact with that I know of.

[Silver_04]

The way I see it is if the earth can make the compound oil, which we refine to make gasoline, some smart person will figure out how to make oil-probably a super clean oil. Or we'll derive some super fuel from ag products. Well, we better anyways because I don't think an electric jumbo jet will go too far and our over the road shipping systems have to keep running.

[Paul T. Casey]

An interesting side note here. Back in the late spring/early summer, when this thread started, the sspike in crude prices was the reason for an almost immediate increase in gas prices. This past week, with crude prices at all time record highs ($45ish per bbl.), gasoline prices remain flat or slightly down. Hmmmmmm.....

[MENINBLK]

An interesting side note here. Back in the late spring/early summer, when this thread started, the sspike in crude prices was the reason for an almost immediate increase in gas prices. This past week, with crude prices at all time record highs ($45ish per bbl.), gasoline prices remain flat or slightly down. Hmmmmmm.....

The reason for this is called "Margin Enhancement" !

When the Fuel Producing companies got wind of the rising cost of Crude Oil,
they probably told all of their distributors
to pass down the word that the price of fuel will be climbing fast.
The Petroleum Distributors (Gas Stations) have learned from the past that fuel costs rise in the summer and fall in the winter.
So to make it advantageous for them, they took an IMMEDIATE Margin Enhancement once the word went out that prices will RISE.

Some people call this PRICE GOUGING.
In the Retail World, we call this Margin Enhancement.

So after the petroleum distributors take their Margin Enhancement,
the cost of the petroleum they are distributing finally rises
and catches up with the cost they are paying.
They lose out on the enhanced margin and go back to their normal margin.

Now that the price of oil is falling, they petroleum distributors are saying to each other,
lets put the enhanced margin on the back end, but increase it as the price falls.

For example...
If the price of petroleum fuel drops 5 cents, they drop their price only 2 cents and keep the 3 cents as Enhanced Margin.
When the price drops another 5 cents, they do the same again.
So for every 10 cents drop in price, you and I only see the 4 cents drop.

At the peak of the fuel prices, New Jersey and New York were only about 5 cents apart in prices.
This week, I went to New Jersey for business, and the cheapest 93 octane fuel I could find
was $1.98 /gallon compared to the lowest cost 93 octane in Yonkers for $2.28/gallon.

For Westchester, the majority of fuel stations are $2.40 or higher for 93 octane which is absurd.
I see people stop at these stations to purchase gas, and they don't know that within 1/2 mile
they can be saving a considerable amount of money??
I don't feel sorry for these people one bit.
If they have enough money to throw away on the highest priced fuel in town, then they deserve what's coming to them.

When the price of gas had a 45 cents difference between New Jersey and New York,
I would cross over the George Washington bridge just to get gas in New Jersey.
It cost me the same with the toll, but I felt good giving part of my gas money
to the local Transit Authority, rather than giving it to the petroleum fuel companies.

Not to mention all of the rice burners I'd leave eating my dust
on my trip out and back... :burnout:

[duhtroll]

Right - svashtar and others -

Ethanol and Methanol are not the same. The manual refers to not using Methanol, not ethanol. Ethanol is perfectly safe to use and it burns cleaner. I use 93 ethanol blend exclusively around home and it seems to work fine. It just so happens to be the ONLY 93 octane around here, but I'll take it since ethanol blends are cheaper 90% of the time anyway.

Thanks,
-A

[deerejoe]

Much comprehensive and informative info has been posted regarding gasoline additives (MTBE vs Ethanol) and octane numbers.

Please, for my particular interest, does gasoline have a 'shelf' life??
If so, does it affect the rated octane and how much, etc.??

In my neck of the woods, pricey, high octane (91-93 rated octane) with/ without Ethanol is NOT required by the majority of automobiles sold here. Therefore, that gasoline will remain in the vendor's storage tank(s) for extended periods.

Vendor's will not generally disclose how long they have had the 91-93 octane grades in storage. So, based on that query; buying 'fresh' gasoline is at best, a guess.

I have purchased 91 and 93 octane rated gasolines with no perceived difference in performance or mileage gain.

Please provide some insight as I don't have a clue. :confused:

How 'old' is old in gasoline jargon??

[Dr Caleb]

Please, for my particular interest, does gasoline have a 'shelf' life??

I have purchased 91 and 93 octane rated gasolines with no perceived difference in performance or mileage gain.

How 'old' is old in gasoline jargon??

IIRC gasoline has a 5 - 8 month 'shelf' life when in your tank. It does evaporate somewhat.

I do notice between 91 and 92 octane gas. If I fill Elvira up with 91 octane, the car will idle 'poorly'. Just sit in it for a while, and I notice slight engine 'misfires' and generally poor idleing. If I fill up with 92 octane, 10% alcohol blended gas, she'll idle perfectly.

[Svashtar]

I want all of you to take notice to this...

OUR FEDERAL GOV'T has BANNED the use of MTBE in ANY FUEL.
MTBE is Methyl Butyl Ethanol (Methanol).
This has been proven to be a carcinogen and it has been found
in our water supplies as it falls out of the atmosphere.

They are now using ETHANOL (GRAIN ALCOHOL) in place of ETHANOL,
because it is an excellent cleaning agent, it is a great oxidizer,
and it will NOT harm our fuel tanks or any rubber materials used in the fuel,
emissions, or engine systems.

This is NOT MTBE. Ethanol is about as pure as 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
It is very clean and does not hurt anything it comes in contact with that I know of.
Maybe in civilized states but not in California. In addition to paying the highest price for the lowest octane, our gas still is cut with MTBE which is polluting the water tables everywhere. Former Governor Davis promised to get rid of it by 2003 but under pressure from the oil companies who cut their gas with this refining waste product and make millions extra, he backed off and we still have it.

Thanks,

Norm

[Svashtar]

Right - svashtar and others -

Ethanol and Methanol are not the same. The manual refers to not using Methanol, not ethanol. Ethanol is perfectly safe to use and it burns cleaner. I use 93 ethanol blend exclusively around home and it seems to work fine. It just so happens to be the ONLY 93 octane around here, but I'll take it since ethanol blends are cheaper 90% of the time anyway.

Thanks,
-AYou are correct, and I misspoke in the above thread. Unocal '76 has Methanol, not the good stuff made from corn, and if anything this junk is even MORE toxic than MTBE.

From the web:


Be careful not to confuse ETHANOL with METHANOL!
Ethanol is a renewable energy fuel fuel made from sugar crops, such as sugar cane and corn. Methanol, on the other hand is made from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.


Below is an excerpt from an important recent study from the U.S. Department of Transportation:


Clean Air Program -- Assessment of the Safety, Health, Environmental and System Risks of Alternative Fuels


3.3.1 Methanol (http://www.solardome.com/SolarDome22.html#anchor171445) vs 3.3.2 Ethanol (http://www.solardome.com/SolarDome22.html#anchor166103)






Methanol (http://www.solardome.com/SolarDome22.html#anchor171445) ...................Ethanol (http://www.solardome.com/SolarDome22.html#anchor166103)

Methanol 3.3.1 : General Description:
Methanol or methyl alcohol is a clear colorless liquid that can be made from a variety of fossil fuel sources including coal and natural gas. All methanol used commercially in the United States is manufactured from natural gas because this is by far the most economical feedstock. Wherever natural gas is unavailable methanol is manufactured from coal.

3.3.1.2 Health Issues - Methanol is extremely toxic.Exposure to very small amounts of methanol (less than one cup)have been known to cause blindness and permanent injury including death. Exposure to methanol can occur through inhalation of vapor,or through ingestion or skin contact with the liquid fuel.

The toxic effects of methanol are the same regardless of themeans of exposure. Considering the fact that methanol is quite volatile, it is most likely that the typical route for exposureis through inhalation of methanol vapors. The measure of fuel toxicity is the threshold limit value (TLV). For methanol vapor, the TLV value is 200 ppm, five times more toxic than other alternative fuels volatile at normal ambient temperature.

The major environmental issues of concern with Methanol is a fuel spill, particularly a spill that reaches a sewer or drainagesystem. One of the physical properties of methanol that affectsfuel spills is its water solubility. Normally, fuel handling facilitiesthat have an emergency drain connecting to a sewer will have aseparator to ensure that the fuel (gasoline or diesel) will notreach the sewer. This approach will not work with methanol since it is soluble in water and will pass directly through the separator.

Methods for separating methanol from water exist but they arequite complex and costly. Due to methanol's extreme toxicity, the best approach is to ensure that any spills in a facility are absolutely prevented from entering any drain through the use of impoundment systems to contain the entire volume of any potential above ground spill. In a bulk transport situation there is obviously no way to provide such assurance.

Often, methanol fuel is designated M-100 to identify it asessentially 100% pure methanol. A popular methanol blend composed of 85% methanol and 15% unleaded gasoline is designated as M-85.

3.3.1.3 Safety Issues General Properties Affecting Hazards One general physical characteristic that differentiates methanol fromother fuels is its corrosive characteristics.

Methanol is incompatible with several types of materials normally used in petroleum storage and transfer systems, including aluminum,magnesium, rubberized components, and some other types of gasket and sealing materials. Therefore it is necessary to take special precautions to ensure that methanol is transported or stored in containers and transfer lines that have been specifically selected for that purpose.

*****************

So its ability to eat up rubberized and other components explains why LM says not to use it. It's also why the maker of some gas cans I bought that have a rubber gasket say not to use gas with Methanol.

I need to get out of this damn state...!:(

Regards,

Norm

[RF Overlord]

MTBE is Methyl Butyl Ethanol (Methanol). This has been proven to be a carcinogen...

For the record, MTBE is Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether and is manufactured by the chemical reaction of methanol and isobutylene. MTBE is also used to dissolve gallstones... :rolleyes:

From the ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry): "How likely is methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) to cause cancer?
There is no evidence that MTBE causes cancer in humans. One study with rats found that breathing high levels of MTBE for long periods may cause kidney cancer. Another study with mice found that breathing high levels of MTBE for long periods may cause liver cancer. Drinking or breathing MTBE may cause nausea, nose and throat irritation, and nervous system effects.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA have not classified MTBE as to its carcinogenicity."

[MENINBLK]

For the record, MTBE is Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether and is manufactured by the chemical reaction of methanol and isobutylene. MTBE is also used to dissolve gallstones... :rolleyes:

From the ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry): "How likely is methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) to cause cancer?
There is no evidence that MTBE causes cancer in humans. One study with rats found that breathing high levels of MTBE for long periods may cause kidney cancer. Another study with mice found that breathing high levels of MTBE for long periods may cause liver cancer. Drinking or breathing MTBE may cause nausea, nose and throat irritation, and nervous system effects.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA have not classified MTBE as to its carcinogenicity."


This is an outdated statement.
The Federal Government Banned the use of MTBE in ANY fuel within the last 2 years.
I remember reading the article and reading how our reservoirs
contain higher levels of MTBE in them in the winter,
when this fuel is used, than in the summer.
It is a PROVEN CARCINOGEN and needs to be avoided at any cost.

If you arent sure if you station has this in their fuel, ask the station attendant for a MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet on the fuel.
They are required by law to have this on the premisis and they have to produce it when asked.
This will state what compounds are contained in the fuel.

There are still some pumps that are labeled as having MTBE in the fuel,
but if you look closely at the labels you will see that they are
either expired or very old.


Gallstones are now pulverized by a procedure called Lithotripsy.

[arejayesss]

Old Thread Alert**

Very Interesting.... Not that long ago, gas was half the price it is now, and everybody was posting as they are now.

[RedMerc04]

Old Thread Alert**

Very Interesting.... Not that long ago, gas was half the price it is now, and everybody was posting as they are now.
Yea, 2 bucks a gallon and < $40 tanks sound like heaven now!

[MENINBLK]

When I purchased my Marauder, fuel was 25% the cost of what it is now...

Have my driving habits changed ? Sure !
I make sure I ENJOY every penny of driving !!!

[Motorhead350]

Wow this wasn't that long ago.

[talon2nr7588]

yeah i would love to pay $2 a gallon right now

[dreydin]

hell yea id like to pay 2 bucks a gallon! i just hope im not saying "i would love to pay 4 bucks a gallon" when 2010 comes around http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r81/ibossi/emoticons/107.gif


or ill end up on this thing http://www.perfect-party-ideas.com/images/ClassicRedInchBicycle.jpg