Do different states have different blends?

[ruSSrt]

On my way to work today was listening to financial podcast. They were talking about inflation, of course, and cost difference on daily consumables. They mentioned a price of gas and that every state has their own fees and taxes associated with it. Duh, not the news to anybody. But recently I have moved from Washington state to South Carolina and one of the things I noticed right away is the price of gas. Gas was at least $2 cheaper in SC than in WA.
But another point they mentioned, specifically different between West coast and East coast, is that states like CA, WA and HI "order" different formulation of gas than dirty south, you know more planet friendly, and Gretta approved gas on west coast. I have never thought of that and was total news to me this morning. Is there really that much difference in fuel formulation? Sure, they might bump up their ethanol usage on west coast (15% vs 5%) but additives also?
Does it really add that much cost to the fuel?

 

[dumkid]

california and some other states use "reformulated" gasoline. it costs more but i think it has less harmful vapors or something so many states have to use it

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

Mostly a change in the volatility of the gasoline for summer that results in fewer vapors escaping in to the air than the more volatile blend allowed in winter in those states. Usually summer blends hit the pumps in May and it switches back sometime in October there in California if my memory serves me well. Up here in Northern Utah the only change I see advertised is summer vs winter diesel with winter diesel needing a different blend/additives to help make it easier to start and less likely to gel in cold temps. Might have something to do with the wax content though I know they scrub most of that out during refining anyway for modern highway diesel.

 

[oil pan 4]

There's a blend map some one on here posted, probably been posted a few times.
I think it was CA, NY and ME the whole state ran RFG and then in some larger cities with air quality problems ran it too.

 

[spasm3]

Does winter blending include E-0 fuel as well as the ethanol fortified gasolines?

 

[SC Maintenance]

Old question, but the primary reasons that our fuel in SC is so inexpensive is because the major pipeline from Houston to the Northeast goes right through the middle of our state, and we also have a major port terminal for fuel in Port of Charleston - so our transportation cost is very low. We also have some of the lowest fuel taxes in the country.

West coast has expensive fuel for many reasons, but the primary reason is they are not connected to the refineries in Houston. They need to get there fuel from other places, like Canada and Saudi Arabia, so transportation costs are very high. They also have high taxes.

The fuel blend does add some cost, but its marginal compared to the above reasons.

 

[y_p_w]

Old question, but the primary reasons that our fuel in SC is so inexpensive is because the major pipeline from Houston to the Northeast goes right through the middle of our state, and we also have a major port terminal for fuel in Port of Charleston - so our transportation cost is very low. We also have some of the lowest fuel taxes in the country.

West coast has expensive fuel for many reasons, but the primary reason is they are not connected to the refineries in Houston. They need to get there fuel from other places, like Canada and Saudi Arabia, so transportation costs are very high. They also have high taxes.

The fuel blend does add some cost, but its marginal compared to the above reasons.

California has no lack of refining capacity nor pipeline infrastructure to move gasoline throughout the state. And California has a fairly unique set of requirements, where the particular blend is only made in California. I However, the crude oil is another matter. The oil fields in Kern County and offshore are important, but nowhere near enough to supply enough gasoline. Near where I live, there is a tanker dock right next to the Chevron Richmond Refinery. I understand it's mostly receiving shipments of crude oil from Alaska. I don't think this document is legally considered confidential once a state government website puts it up for public viewing.

https://www.slc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/PF2014_MOTEMS-Chevron.pdf

I do remember when California had its Phase I RFG, where the California Air Resources Board said that the test fuel they used for the program was made by BP in Louisiana. Didn't make sense to me at the time, but I guess they could make small batches of test fuels that California refineries weren't equipped to make.

Washington has five refineries, and I would think they supply Washington and Oregon, which don't have particularly large populations. I looked it up and there's a major pipeline from these refineries to Oregon, and the rest would likely come from California, where the refineries produce more than just California RFG. And I remember being in Washington where most gas stations still had 92 AKI premium.

However, the most common commodity fuel sold in the US is "Reformulated Blendstock for Oyxgenate Blending" (RBOB) which is an unleaded fuel that's designed to be 87 AKI after being blended with 10% fuel ethanol. So obviously it's a reformulated fuel that meets the RFG requirements of several states.

 

[SC Maintenance]

California has no lack of refining capacity nor pipeline infrastructure to move gasoline throughout the state. And California has a fairly unique set of requirements, where the particular blend is only made in California. I However, the crude oil is another matter. The oil fields in Kern County and offshore are important, but nowhere near enough to supply enough gasoline. Near where I live, there is a tanker dock right next to the Chevron Richmond Refinery. I understand it's mostly receiving shipments of crude oil from Alaska. I don't think this document is legally considered confidential once a state government website puts it up for public viewing.

https://www.slc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/PF2014_MOTEMS-Chevron.pdf

I do remember when California had its Phase I RFG, where the California Air Resources Board said that the test fuel they used for the program was made by BP in Louisiana. Didn't make sense to me at the time, but I guess they could make small batches of test fuels that California refineries weren't equipped to make.

Washington has five refineries, and I would think they supply Washington and Oregon, which don't have particularly large populations. I looked it up and there's a major pipeline from these refineries to Oregon, and the rest would likely come from California, where the refineries produce more than just California RFG. And I remember being in Washington where most gas stations still had 92 AKI premium.

However, the most common commodity fuel sold in the US is "Reformulated Blendstock for Oyxgenate Blending" (RBOB) which is an unleaded fuel that's designed to be 87 AKI after being blended with 10% fuel ethanol. So obviously it's a reformulated fuel that meets the RFG requirements of several states.

California only has capacity to refine 80-90% of the fuel they need. Fuel is priced at the margin, so the refiners are not going to sell there 90% at a low price while the other 10% sells at a higher price. Its just like everyone's house on the block is reset by the latest sale. You need excess capacity - in everything - refining, crude, ethanol to mix. Houston has excess. California doesn't.

The other reasons contribute, but that is the primary one. I am guessing the only reason that the refineries in California are kept open is that refining margins there are much higher than probably anywhere else.

 

[y_p_w]

California only has capacity to refine 80-90% of the fuel they need. Fuel is priced at the margin, so the refiners are not going to sell there 90% at a low price while the other 10% sells at a higher price. Its just like everyone's house on the block is reset by the latest sale. You need excess capacity - in everything - refining, crude, ethanol to mix. Houston has excess. California doesn't.

The other reasons contribute, but that is the primary one. I am guessing the only reason that the refineries in California are kept open is that refining margins there are much higher than probably anywhere else.

I wasn't thinking about it earlier, but there are refineries in Alaska which are probably making California RFG. But for the most part they're moving crude oil.