Arco's new marketing strategy

[Durango]

My brother and I just came back from a weekend trip from Palm Springs and noticed several signs off the highway representing ARCO gasoline saying "how well their gasoline cleans valves and is easy on your pocket book". After seeing them my brother told me that ARCO gasoline is now provided from Tesoro refiners. Is this true???? Was ARCO finally bought out????

Since SHELL gasoline is considered a TOP TIER gas I now wonder if ARCO is considered the same cut rate fuel told by many on this forum or Tesoro?SHELL comparable to ARCO in quality. No more ARCO "clean tech" anymore???

Durango

 

[dave1251]

From what I gather Tesoro has bought some of the leases to Arco stations that BP is no longer interested in renewing. From what I have read the majority of those stations where renamed to USA or Shell stations. It seems if it is still a Arco station the lease for that particular station has not expired yet with BP.

 

[Durango]

dave1251,

My neighborhood has an ARCO station nd so far is the cheapest in my area. The other side of the block is Shell and is currently the most expensive for regular/$4.97!!!!!

All I was wondering if Tesoro does provide ARCO with top quality gas then for the money it a bargain. I mean if the advertisment says ARCO them it must mean all and not just a few leased stations.

Durango

 

[Chris142]

Arco/AMPM is pretty high here. Fpr $.03 more I can go across the street to a 76 station.

 

[Hallmark]

Keep in mind that regardless of who refines the gasoline, e.g. Tesoro, ARCO, Shell, or whoever, the additive the distinguishes between Top Tier or non-Top Tier gasoline is added to the delivery tanker at the local fuel distributor (who may service several branded stations), not at the refinery.

In my locale, all gasolines refined by Tesoro, ARCO, Shell, BP, and ConocoPhillips are transported from western Washington refineries via a common pipeline with no separation of brands, i.e. what comes out of the pipe in Oregon is generic unbranded fuel. Only Chevron barges to my area from California.

Refineries do not refine Top Tier gasoline...they refine fuel that is later modified to be labeled Top Tier (or not).

That is how gasoline outlets without a brand name can market their fuels as Top Tier, e.g. as Costco will undoubtedly do when all their fuel stations are conforming.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted By: Durango
dave1251,

My neighborhood has an ARCO station nd so far is the cheapest in my area. The other side of the block is Shell and is currently the most expensive for regular/$4.97!!!!!

All I was wondering if Tesoro does provide ARCO with top quality gas then for the money it a bargain. I mean if the advertisment says ARCO them it must mean all and not just a few leased stations.

Durango


http://www.cspnet.com/news/corporate/articles/arco-thrifty-oil-franchisees-sue-bp

More info on the whole ARCO mess.

Durango ARCO is/was high quality gas when/still being provided by BP. According to the article below I will go on a limb and say if the station is still ARCO branded it is still being supplied by gasoline by BP.

http://www.cspnet.com/news/fuels/articles/arco-not-leaving-southern-california

 

[Durango]

Dave1251,

That article was very interesting to read at best it indicates it's not up for sale yet. However what there current marketing stragety is toteing it cleans valves and such like it's a Top Tier gas still stumps me. I can assume even ARCO gas does in some way has solvents inside it to help engines run better. That afterall is mandated by the government. Anyway the bill boards I saw on the highway indicates somethings going on here.

Durango

 

[Errtt]

In all my years of driving I have never tried ARCO.
The few around me now seem always crowded.

 

[Durango]

Errtt,

If ARCO is being made by Tesoro then at least you might try it a couple times and evaluate it yourself. Besides the main reason it's so busy lately at ARCO stations is because it's price is so low. This week I paid $3.88/gallon/Premium and that's a good thing for my wallet.

Durango