Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5/gal

A buddy of mine heard last week that (here in CA) the diesel plants will be changing over in June or by June of '06 to a 90% less sulphur mixture in the diesel fuel. He heard prices would go to $5 a gallon.

Also, I read in here about different types of fuel, d's and b's etc. what does this mean to a newby?

And I can remember the last fuel crisis in the 70's when gas prices caused lines around the block. Odd and even buying days etc. Yet diesel prices were still around 35 cents a gallon. I've been told that the wonderful powers that be simply tax the crap out of us diesel lovers. Is that also true?

Thanks... very interested in your knowledgeable posts!

BS, Reducing current fuel levels from 500ppm Sulfur down to 10ppm sulfur increases the cost per gallon by $.05.

The issue with ULSD is not the cost but meeting the specification once the fuel gets to the end consumer ie the pump. This is due to cross contamination in the delivery of the fuel via main pipelines that also carry higher sulfur fuels such as off-road diesel and heating oils just to name a few.

Bottom line is switching over to USLD will go unoticed by most if not all end consumers at the pumps.

DB

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

Yep, total fish story.
I heard a story, right form the guys mouth, yesterday that diesel would be $7 per gallon by spring because President Bush had “ordered” the refineries to produce gas in favor of diesel to placate the voters. Amazing thing is he believed that. Perhaps in my youth I'd of engaged him in a debate. I've learned over the years to just let those pass.

P.S.
I remembered the term for this type of rumor. “Scuttlebutt”

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

Nothing more than fear mongering.

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

The other things you asked about are those "b" and "d" things...

I'm not sure what the "d" may have referred to for sure, but the "b" I'm pretty confident in and the "D probably falls in line. It goes like this:
Diesel fuel can be produced from renewable vegetable (and animal, though not commonly) sources, like soy and canola (rapeseed) oils, through a prcess known as transesterification. Fuel created that way is known as biodiesel. A blend of biodiesel with common pretroleum diesel is described by the percent of biodiesel in the mixture. B5, recently approved my VWoA for use in TDI engines is 5% biodiesel and 95% "dino" diesel, which I think is where the "d" you may have read comes from. You should check out the biodiesel forum here and at other great sites like http://biodieselnow.com/ for more info.

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

Several popular names of fuels:

D1: Diesel #1 - "winter" diesel, not what your car was made to run
D2: Diesel #2 - "summer" diesel, can be winterized, what your car was made to run

B2: 2% biodiesel, 98% diesel #2
B5: 5% biodiesel, 95% D2
B10: 10% biodiesel, 90% D2
B20: 20% biodiesel, 80% D2
B100: 100% biodiesel

SVO: Straight Vegetable Oil
WVO: Waste Vegetable Oil

V2: 2% SVO/purified WVO, 98% diesel (could be D2, biodiesel, or a blend)
V20: 20% SVO/purified WVO, 80% diesel

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

Thank you all, bhtooefr and Mr. C-5A flyer... and the rest. Very helpful! I'll print up the diesel fuel def's.

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

Hey maybe 'D' for high Sulphur "Dirty" diesel and 'B' for "*****in" ULSD. Mmmm....prolly not tho!

I'll bet that there will be a small amount of price fluctuations in some regional markets. I don't know how hard the EPA will hold the fuel distributors to the specifications for the fuel as it comes out of the pumps, but it might take a while for the new ULSD to wash the sulfur out of the pipes. We could end up with a whole lot of 25ppm diesel that can't legally be sold at any fuel pumps, unless the EPA grants waivers for a little bit.

Unfortunately the refineries probably won't use the obvious solution - start ULSD way before it is due so there won't be hiccups.

At the risk of piling on... low sulpher diesel is already being sold in parts of CA for not much more than #2 diesel. As far as I'm concerned, it can't come soon enough.

Re: Diesel sulpher change over, diesel to go to $5

I figure right now the oil companies will do whatever they want. The demand is inelastic, and Dear Leader is an oilman. Prices are high, along with absurdly high profits, considering that it is not a particularly high risk business. It helps that all the motor fuels will have to be low sulpher. Watch out for lubricity issues with ULSD.

ULSD at Arco tends to be cheaper than lots of other places that sell diesel I notice. Used it for the past 20k miles or so without any issue, noticeably less soot though.

..The issue with ULSD is not the cost but meeting the specification once the fuel gets to the end consumer ie the pump. This is due to cross contamination in the delivery of the fuel via main pipelines that also carry higher sulfur fuels such as off-road diesel and heating oils just to name a few.

Click to expand...

Or that 3000ppm Jet-A guys like you blow out the tailpipe, DB!!