ARCO has introduced a motor fuel it believes to be the cleanest burning, high octane gasoline made for cars in southern California.
The new, 92 octane, reformulated gasoline, called EC-Premium, will replace ARCO's 91 octane superunleaded gasoline at more than 700 am/pm minimarkets, Smog-Pros, and ARCO service stations from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
"EC-Premium fulfills part of the clean air promise we made last September when we introduced EC-1 Regular as the nation's first reformulated gasoline," said Lodwrick M. Cook, ARCO chairman and chief executive officer.
EC-1 was designed for older cars that burn leaded regular gasoline.
"With EC-Premium we are taking a great step toward our goal of converting all our gasolines to low emission formulas," Cook said.
The new gasoline emits less benzene, carbon monoxide, and reactive organic gases than conventional premiums while meeting the needs of high performance engines, he said.
It is refined at ARCO's 220,000 b/cd Carson, Calif., refinery.
EMISSIONS REDUCTION
Cook called EC-Premium "a significant development" in controlling vehicle emissions.
ARCO tests, shared with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (Scaqmd) and California Air Resources Board (CARB), show introduction of EC-Premium will reduce emissions by 43 tons/day. That's in addition to significant air quality benefits achieved by EC-11 the company said.
ARCO figures EC-1 has reduced vehicular air pollution by 36,500 tons since its introduction in southern California last September.
With EC-Premium, ARCO has reduced the benzene content of premium unleaded to only 1%, a drop of 55% from its superunleaded gasoline. The benzene level is 63% less than the average reported for all premium gasolines in a Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association survey of the Los Angeles area.
ARCO made its reduction through refinery processing changes that cut the amount of benzene produced by as much as 12,600 gal/day.
In the reformulation process, the company also has reduced total aromatics and olefins, a group of chemical components that react in the presence of sunlight to form smog, by 25% and lowered vapor pressure by 1 psi below the current California state standard.
Tests by two independent laboratories show EC-Premium generates 28% less carbon monoxide, 21% less exhaust hydrocarbons, and 36% less evaporative emissions than conventional premium gasolines.
EC-Premium uses methyl tertiary butyl ether to increase octane.
The fuel also is designed to guard against deposit formation in the engine intake system. It features a deposit control additive with more fuel system detergent that has passed the BMW unlimited mileage test measuring valve deposits.
ARCO said performance data indicate that one tankful of EC-Premium will clean up 95% of deposits on clogged fuel injectors.
MARKET SHARE
ARCO sells about 18,000 b/d of unleaded supreme in southern California. That's about 18% of the company's total gasoline sales.
"Our hope is that our 15% share of the premium gasoline market in southern California will increase significantly as we offer the motoring public a superior performing, environmentally clean gasoline at a very competitive price," Cook said.
Initial EC-Premium production volume is 18,000-20,000 b/d.
EC-Premium development was initiated by a team of ARCO personnel at the company's Engineering and Technology Center in Anaheim, Calif.
ARCO began working on EC-Premium shortly after it introduced EC-1. Fuel tests with a fleet of 20 cars were conducted on the road and using dynamometers.
The company began producing unleaded gasoline in 1970, 4 years before catalytic converters were required in California and 5 years before they were required in all states.
Copyright 1990 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.