Fuel - Supermarket or Branded?

[c1800]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

What about the V Power stuff? Is that just produced in the same refinery, loaded onto a wagon & additives pumped into it or something?

You’re exactly right. Fuel is fuel, and additives are injected at the loading rack (or not) into to the lorry transport tanker with the fuel depending on where it’s going.

When I say fuel is fuel, there are differences between refineries. Depending on the technology used, “more high tech” refineries are able to produce fuel exactly on spec for such things as octane and government mandated basic components. Older, less efficient refineries must err to the upper limit to ensure they meet the spec.

Quite common that oil companies trade product between refineries/distribution terminals to save on transportation costs. For example, if the only refinery in the area is Shell, then others will load from shell, have their specific additives injected and deliver to their branded stations. In another area of the country, the nearest refinery may be Esso, and the reverse happens. Of course finished product pipelines are in play too, so it’s a bit complicated.

Having said all that, one needn’t worry about which particular fuel they’re getting.
For 99% it’s all good. Without a scientific study, ones experience with a tank load from brand A vs a tank load from brand B is not relevant. The biggest factor in a bad experience with a particular tankful of fuel, is the local gas station it comes from. Out of the way petrol stations with low sales have a higher likelihood of a bad fill, than a high volume, branded or supermarket, station.

[ThomasG]

Ok, a question here
Observed over few fills, some petrol definitely foams during filling, resulting in longer time to fill the tank (filling gun "clicks" and I need to wait few seconds for foam to go down before I can fill more), some petrol goes in "flat" and easy.

What's behind this?
(Note: not manufacturer or even country dependant. I had this on pretty much any station, seems random)

[Familyman 90]

Temperature, humidity, nozzle design, speed of delivery...

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by c1800

You’re exactly right. Fuel is fuel, and additives are injected at the loading rack (or not) into to the lorry transport tanker with the fuel depending on where it’s going.

When I say fuel is fuel, there are differences between refineries. Depending on the technology used, “more high tech” refineries are able to produce fuel exactly on spec for such things as octane and government mandated basic components. Older, less efficient refineries must err to the upper limit to ensure they meet the spec.

Quite common that oil companies trade product between refineries/distribution terminals to save on transportation costs. For example, if the only refinery in the area is Shell, then others will load from shell, have their specific additives injected and deliver to their branded stations. In another area of the country, the nearest refinery may be Esso, and the reverse happens. Of course finished product pipelines are in play too, so it’s a bit complicated.

Having said all that, one needn’t worry about which particular fuel they’re getting.
For 99% it’s all good. Without a scientific study, ones experience with a tank load from brand A vs a tank load from brand B is not relevant. The biggest factor in a bad experience with a particular tankful of fuel, is the local gas station it comes from. Out of the way petrol stations with low sales have a higher likelihood of a bad fill, than a high volume, branded or supermarket, station.

^^^^^ That

i.e. just becuase you buy your fuel at say an Esso branded station doesn't necessarily mean it came from an Esso refinery.

[Kev0607]

So the stories about supermarket fuel being cheap/no good in comparison to branded options isn’t true?

[Familyman 90]

That's a sweeping statement either way.

There is no reason why theyh should not be as 'good' as brand name retailers, but there is no guarantee either way.

As aforementioned above several times, the integrity of the storage and the dilligence of the delivery has a far greater impact than any notional differences between fuels.

[Whippy]

Look at France, where probably 70% of the population regularly buy fuel from the supermarket. No-one has a problem cos it's the same stuff as you buy in a shell station in town.

[baggy798]

Always higher octane stuff to help prevent detonation.

[Wagon Sailor]

Originally Posted by baggy798

Always higher octane stuff to help prevent detonation.

Why are you playing with your chips (and ECU) so often?

[NewXC90George]

They all supply the branded stations and the supermarkets with the same base product that has to meet a basic specification.
The branded fuels will charge a small premium for some some types of fuel where they include additives, marketing them as cleaner or more efficient.
im sure they make good money from people thinking its somehow better for their car, personally i doubt it makes any measurable difference outside a lab