Date:         Fri, 20 Oct 2017 14:51:30 -0700
Reply-To:     David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Friday NVC, Chevron gasoline
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Had this experience this week.  I found myself in need of fuel, and in sort
of a bind.  I pulled into a no-name gas station, and went ahead and, with
trepidation, filled up.  I used to use whatever gas was cheapest, but in
recent years became convinced that Chevron (and Texaco, same-same) were
better.  Perhaps my psyche has a placebo response, but I seemed to get
better gas mileage with it (not a controlled experiment, just NOTICED the
difference).

When I went inside, on a whim, I asked the clerk what kind of gasoline the
place sold.  No name stations have to get their gas from some one.  He
said, "Chevron."  Now, this place was 15 cents per gallon cheaper than any
Chevron station in the area.  I pointed that out, and he said, "That's
because we don't have the right to display the Chevron name since we aren't
a Chevron contractor."  I asked him if it was identical to the fuel sold at
Chevron stations, and he averred that it was, and further told me that
wherever I buy gas in Spokane, WA, it is Chevron gasoline, identical to the
branded Chevron fuel, and delivered by a Chevron truck.  He then said that
there are exceptions, that Exxon branded stations here do indeed sell Exxon
gas, and that a few non-branded stations may also, but that 90%, regardless
of brand, sell Chevron.  There are a 76 and two Conoco stations within a
block of that place.  He claimed that they sell Chevron gas, and that he
has seen the Chevron truck deliver their fuel, the same as his.

Now, years ago, when I lived in Big Spring, Texas I used to watch all sorts
of trucks, Conoco, Phillips (the two have merged now), Gulf (now Chevron),
Texaco (now Chevron), you name it, they all filled up their delivery tanks
at the American Petro-Fina refinery in Big Spring.

What do the rest of you know about this?  The claim back then was that,
yes, they took delivery there, but that different additives were put into
the fuel at the time the truck filled up, depending on the truck's brand.
But if the same truck is delivering to all stations, that would not be the
case.  That expensive Techron is going into Cenex, 76, Conoco, you name it.
I remember when Shell marketed their gas as having a substance called
"platformate" in it.  At the time, virtually every refinery anywhere had
cracking towers containing platinum as a catalyst.  Shell just trademarked
a made up name related to the process, and then marketed it.