180Marty wrote:N1593Y, A few months ago you were saying that sub-octane gasoline is all that would be refined pretty soon. What's the story on that now?
It is happening and will continue. I was referring primarily to the Northwest, but it will spread across the country as the federal RFS mandate increases each year and more and more gasoline must be blended. That is what the "blending wall" is all about. By 2013 at the latest the mandate requires more ethanol than can be blended in all of the gasoline used in the US if it is all E10.
I see by the January PADD 5 reports that every terminal in California, except the one in Imperial, is now only handling ethanol blended gasoline which means all of the refineries in California are making CarBOB, which is California's unique suboctane blending component.
Oregon state Department of Agriculture was notified by the refineries in Washington that the only product being shipped down the Olympic pipeline is cBOB now. According to the PADD 5 report, there is still some clear product at the refineries in Washington but it is now being distributed by truck, rail or barge only. According to the report the BP refinery no longer makes clear product. It is obvious that demand will drop for clear product since the only major users are marinas and two airports in Washington and one in Oregon. As that happens the refineries will quit making clear product as BOB is cheaper to make and they get more of it in a run.
