Gasoline |
|---|
|
| Topic Navigation |
|---|
|
Wikipedia: Gasoline
Page Sections History Multimedia Photographs Documents Article Index |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Gasoline page on 29 October 2020, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Gasoline, or petrol is a clear petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. On average, a 160-liter (42-U.S.-gallon) barrel of crude oil can yield up to about 72 liters (19 U.S. gallons) of gasoline after processing in an oil refinery, depending on the crude oil assay and on what other refined products are also extracted. The characteristic of a particular gasoline blend to resist igniting too early (which causes knocking and reduces efficiency in reciprocating engines) is measured by its octane rating, which is produced in several grades. Once widely used to increase octane rating, tetraethyl lead and other lead compounds are no longer used in most areas (they are still used in aviation and auto-racing). Other chemicals are frequently added to gasoline to improve chemical stability and performance characteristics, control corrosiveness and provide fuel system cleaning. Gasoline may contain oxygen-containing chemicals such as ethanol, MTBE or ETBE to improve combustion.
Gasoline can enter the environment uncombusted, both as liquid and as vapor, from leakage and handling during production, transport and delivery (e.g., from storage tanks, from spills, etc.). As an example of efforts to control such leakage, many underground storage tanks are required to have extensive measures in place to detect and prevent such leaks. Gasoline contains benzene and other known carcinogens.
Etymology
"Gasoline" is an English word that denotes fuel for automobiles. The Oxford English Dictionary dates its first recorded use to 1863, when it was spelled "gasolene". The term "gasoline" was first used in North America in 1864. The word is a derivation from the word "gas" and the chemical suffixes "-ol" and "-ine" or "-ene".
However, the term may also have been influenced by the trademark "Cazeline" or "Gazeline". On 27 November 1862, the British publisher, coffee merchant and social campaigner John Cassell placed an advertisement in The Times of London:
The Patent Cazeline Oil, safe, economical, and brilliant … possesses all the requisites which have so long been desired as a means of powerful artificial light.
| Date | Media or Collection Name & Details | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Gasoline For Everybody Audio Productions for the Ethyl Corporation |  Topic Page - 349MB - 12:54 |
| 11 September 2006 | Gasoline Distillation System Cuts Auto Emissions Butler Cain for Voice of America News |  Article Page - 4:20 |
 |
Subject: Eagle Manufacturing Company Gas Can (Wellsburg, West Virginia)
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: Green Street Cruise Night: 6 June 2011 View photo of Eagle Gasoline Can - 3,682KB |
 |
Subject: Sebring Fuel Dispenser (Sebring, Florida)
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Date: 2013 View photo of Sebring Gasoline Can - 3.6MB |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 6 May 1999 hearing date | Reformulated Gasoline Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health and Environment of the Committee on Commerce U.S. House of Representatives |  PDF - 219KB - 44 pages |
| 2 March 2000 hearing date | National Implementation of the Reformulated Gasoline Program Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health and Environment of the Committee on Commerce U.S. House of Representatives | PDF - 3.6MB - 208 pages |
| 6 September 2005 hearing date | Gasoline Prices Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. Senate | PDF - 595KB - 156 pages |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 24 June 1997 | Exxon Settles FTC charges: Ground-breaking Educational Ad Campaign Ordered Consumers who were exposed to ads that claimed that Exxon high octane gasoline would reduce auto maintenance costs will get important new information from Exxon soon. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Exxon, Gasoline |
| 17 September 1997 | FTC Finalizes Exxon Settlement The Federal Trade Commission has approved as final a consent agreement with Exxon Corporation that has triggered the launch of a massive consumer education and advertising campaign. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Exxon, Gasoline |
| 22 June 2000 | FTC Chairman Robert Pitofsky Comments on Midwestern Gas Prices "The high price differential between reformulated and non-reformulated gasoline in the Midwest region has raised significant questions for the FTC that can only be answered by a thorough investigation." | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, Robert Pitofsky |
| 28 June 2000 | FTC Chairman Testifies Before House Committee Regarding Recent Midwest Gasoline Price Increases FTC Chairman Robert Pitofsky described several potential causes for the increases and assured Congress that the Commission's investigation into whether such increases have resulted from anti-competitive, collusive or otherwise illegal behavior will be "thorough, objective and as expeditious as possible." | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, Robert Pitofsky |
| 13 July 2000 | FTC Competition Director Testifies Before Senate Regarding Recent Midwest Gasoline Price Increases FTC Competition Director Richard G. Parker described several potential causes for the increases and assured Congress that the Commission's investigation into whether such increases have resulted from anti-competitive, collusive or otherwise illegal behavior will be "thorough, objective and as expeditious as possible." | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, Richard G. Parker |
| 28 July 2000 | Federal Trade Commission Issues Interim Report on Midwest Gas Price Investigation The report explains the chronology of the price spikes of reformulated gasoline (RFG) in the Midwest region and how these price increases led Commission staff to begin a preliminary investigation in early June and the Commission to launch a formal investigation on June 21. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 30 March 2001 | FTC Issues Report on Midwest Gasoline Price Investigation After a nine-month investigation into the causes of the gasoline price spikes in local markets in the Midwest during the spring and summer of 2000, the Federal Trade Commission today announced its findings into the causes behind such price increases. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 25 April 2001 | FTC Chairman Testifies Before Senate Committee on Merger Enforcement in the Gasoline Industry Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky presented the Commission's testimony today before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Foreign Commerce, and Tourism concerning merger enforcement in the gasoline industry. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline, Robert Pitofsky |
| 7 May 2001 | FTC Closes Western States Gasoline Investigation The Federal Trade Commission today announced the completion of its investigation of various marketing and distribution practices employed by the major oil refiners in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington ("Western States"). | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 12 July 2001 | FTC to Hold Public Conference/Opportunity for Comment on U.S. Gasoline Industry in Early August On August 2, 2001, the Federal Trade Commission will hold an initial public conference to examine factors that affect prices of refined petroleum products in the United States. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 13 September 2001 | Consumer Awareness at Gasoline Pumps Urged Since Tuesday's tragic events, the Federal Trade Commission has received numerous complaints of dramatic gasoline price increases in several states. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 21 December 2001 | FTC to Hold Second Public Conference on the U.S. Oil and Gasoline Industry in May 2002 From May 6-9, 2002, the Federal Trade Commission will hold a second public conference to examine factors that affect prices of refined petroleum products in the United States. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 13 February 2002 | Announced Actions for February 13, 2002 Staff of the FTC's Office of General Counsel, the Bureaus of Competition and Economics, and the Midwest Region-Chicago have submitted comments to the EPA concerning the competitive effects of clean fuels regulations, which require unique gasoline fuel blends, on the supply and distribution of gasoline. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 23 April 2002 | FTC Testimony Highlights Multi-prong Strategy To Ensure Competitive Gasoline Pricing Testifying today before the House Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs, FTC General Counsel William E. Kovacic reported that, in recent years, the FTC has devoted almost one-third of its Bureau of Competition's total enforcement budget to energy industry investigations. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline, William E. Kovacic |
| 1 May 2002 | Factors That Affect Gasoline Prices To Be Discussed at FTC Conference This conference seeks to elicit information and views on major factors that affect the price of refined petroleum products and the relative importance of each. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 8 May 2002 | FTC Chairman Opens Public Conference Citing New Model To Identify and Track Gasoline Price Spikes, Upcoming Reports Chairman Timothy J. Muris today said that the FTC has developed a statistical model that is being used to identify and monitor "unusual" gasoline price movements in 360 cities across the country. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline, Timothy J. Muris |
| 16 April 2003 | Massive Gas Price Hike in Zimbabwe Sparks Calls for General Strike  | Peta Thornycroft |
| 23 March 2004 | US Gasoline Prices at All-Time High | Voice of America |
| 7 April 2004 | FTC Testifies on "Market Forces, Anticompetitive Activity, and Gasoline Prices" General Counsel William Kovacic detailed the agency’s initiatives to maintain competitive energy markets, and said that the Commission will take enforcement action, if warranted, to protect U.S. consumers from price increases resulting from illegal anticompetitive conduct. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, William E. Kovacic |
| 22 June 2004 | Americans Watch Gasoline Prices Rise | Ted Landphair, VOA News |
| 7 July 2004 | FTC Testifies on its Initiatives to Protect Competitive Markets for Gasoline General Counsel William Kovacic said “the single most important factor affecting both the level and movement of gasoline prices in the United States is the price of crude oil. Changes in crude oil prices account for approximately 85% of the variability of gasoline prices.” | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, William E. Kovacic |
| 15 July 2004 | FTC Testifies on Initiatives to Protect Competitive Markets for Gasoline In testimony today, the Federal Trade Commission told the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that the price of crude oil, not mergers in the petroleum industry, is the major factor in determining gasoline prices at the pump. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, William E. Kovacic |
| 30 April 2005 | Pay-by-Plastic pumps up gas prices in U.S. | Wikinews |
| 5 July 2005 | FTC Releases Report on Gasoline Price Changes: the Dynamic of Supply, Demand, and Competition One of the Report’s conclusions is that over the past 20 years, changes in the price of crude oil have led to 85 percent of the changes in the retail price of gasoline in the U.S., while other important factors have included increasing demand, supply restrictions, and federal, state, and local regulations such as “clean fuel” requirements and taxes. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 28 July 2005 | Federal Trade Commission to Challenge Aloha Petroleum Ltd.s Planned Purchase of Hawaiian Gasoline Assets of Trustreet Properties, Inc. Aloha seeks to acquire from Trustreet a 50 percent interest in the Barbers Point petroleum importing terminal on Oahu. Aloha already owns the other half. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 17 August 2005 | Canadian gasoline tops $1 a litre, politicians consider options | Wikinews |
| 18 August 2005 | Iraqi gasoline is the cheapest in the world at $.05 per gallon | Wikinews |
| 6 September 2005 | FTC Resolves Aloha Petroleum Litigation Aloha's Agreement with Mid Pac Restores Competition That Would Have Been Lost in the Bulk Supply Gasoline Market in Hawaii. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 27 December 2005 | Leaded Fuel to be Phased Out in Sub-Saharan Africa | Cathy Majtenyi |
| 1 March 2006 | Gas | Kevin Stith |
| 1 March 2006 | Gas Prices | Kevin Stith |
| 1 March 2006 | Gas Stations | Kevin Stith |
| 30 April 2006 | Hawaii legislature reaches agreement to suspend gasoline price cap | Wikinews |
| 6 July 2006 | Gasoline Shortages Frustrate Iraqis | Margaret Besheer |
| 6 September 2006 | Gas Pains | Bill Crittenden |
| 7 September 2005 | FTC Testifies on Initiatives to Protect Competitive Markets in the U.S. Petroleum Industry “Gasoline prices are among the most visible prices in our complex economy. Consumers closely follow gasoline prices, and in recent months these prices have experienced dramatic increases.” | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, John Seesel |
| 11 September 2006 | Gasoline Distillation System Cuts Auto Emissions | Butler Cain |
| 21 September 2005 | FTC Provides Senate Testimony on Initiatives To Protect Competition in the U.S. Petroleum Industry FTC Associate General Counsel for Energy John Seesel detailed the FTC’s varied initiatives to protect competitive markets in the production, distribution, and sale of gasoline, and discussed in detail an important Commission study issued earlier this year on the factors affecting gas prices across the United States. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, John Seesel |
| 9 November 2005 | FTC Provides Joint Senate Committee Testimony on Gasoline Prices and Competition in the U.S. Petroleum Industry The Chairman began the testimony by citing the critical role the energy industry plays in the U.S. economy, saying that “[n]o other industry’s performance is more deeply felt, and no other industry is so carefully scrutinized by the FTC.” | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topics: Gasoline, Deborah Platt Majoras |
| 22 May 2006 | FTC Releases Report on its Investigation of Gasoline Price Manipulation and Post-Katrina Gasoline Price Increases The report details the results of an intensive, Congressionally-mandated Commission investigation into whether gasoline prices nationwide were “artificially manipulated by reducing refinery capacity or by any other form of market manipulation or price gouging practices” and into gasoline pricing by refiners, large wholesalers, and retailers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline Special Collection: Hurricane Katrina |
| 23 May 2006 | FTC Provides Senate Testimony on its Investigation of Gasoline Price Manipulation and Post-Katrina Gasoline Price Increases FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras described the major issues addressed in the report released Monday entitled “Investigation of Gasoline Price Manipulation and Post-Katrina Gasoline Price Increases.” | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline Special Collection: Hurricane Katrina |
| 30 August 2007 | FTC, Antitrust Division Send Report to President on Factors Explaining National Average Gasoline Price Increases During Spring and Summer of 2006 In April 2006, while the FTC was completing its intensive investigation of petroleum industry conduct and gasoline pricing following Hurricane Katrina, President Bush directed DOJ to work with the FTC and the Department of Energy to conduct inquiries into rising gasoline prices. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline Special Collection: Hurricane Katrina |
| 11 April 2008 | Gasoline Tax Profits | Lori Robertson, FactCheck.org |
| 26 May 2008 | Diesel Fuel and Gasoline Costs | Brooks Jackson, FactCheck.org |
| 21 November 2008 | Gas prices in the U.S. fall below $2 a gallon | Wikinews |
| 13 October 2010 | US Permits More Ethanol in Motor Fuel | VOA Breaking News |
| 21 April 2011 | US to Monitor Gas Prices for Fraud | VOA Breaking News |
| 1 September 2011 | FTC Issues New Report on Gasoline Prices and the Petroleum Industry “This report is part of our ongoing focus on competition in energy markets. The American people need to understand why they often pay so much for gasoline,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. | Press Release (text) Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 3 October 2011 | Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Arizona; Update to Stage II Gasoline Vapor Recovery Program; Change in the Definition of ``Gasoline'' To Exclude ``E85'' | Keith Takata |
| 5 October 2012 | $5.69/gal. for regular? | Gus Philpott, The Woodstock Advocate |
| 10 October 2012 | Statement by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz on Gasoline Price Spikes in California “The Commission is keenly aware of recent gasoline price spikes in California, and fully appreciates the strain that high gasoline prices place on individual consumers who have less money for other necessities, and on the economy as a whole.” | Press Release (text) Author: Jon Leibowitz Agency: FTC Topic: Gasoline |
| 22 August 2013 | Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Gasoline Distribution Facilities (Renewal) | John Moses |
| 22 August 2013 | Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reformulated Gasoline Commingling Provisions (Renewal) | John Moses |
| 30 April 2014 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Detergent Gasoline (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Byron Bunker) |
| 22 December 2014 | Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reformulated Gasoline and Conventional Gasoline: Requirements for Refiners, Oxygenate Blenders, and Importers of Gasoline; Requirements for Parties in the Gasoline Distribution Network (Renewal) | Courtney Kerwin |
| 6 February 2015 | Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Extension of the Reformulated Gasoline Program to Maine's Southern Counties | Federal Register: EPA (Gina McCarthy) |
| 28 October 2016 | U.S. Drivers Consumed 71.8 Billion Gallons of Gasoline in First Half of 2016 | FHWA |
| 23 November 2016 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Reformulated Gasoline Commingling Provisions (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Byron Bunker) |
| 29 June 2017 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Gasoline Volatility | Federal Register: EPA (Byron J. Bunker) |
| 29 August 2017 | Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Gasoline Volatility (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Courtney Kerwin) |
| 6 October 2017 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Detergent Gasoline (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Byron J. Bunker) |
| 28 February 2018 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Detergent Gasoline | Federal Register: EPA (Courtney Kerwin) |
| 10 April 2018 | Proposed Information Collection Request Renewal; Comment Request; Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Regarding the Sulfur Content of Motor Vehicle Gasoline, Gasoline Additives, Denatured Fuel Ethanol and Other Oxygenates, Certified Ethanol Denaturant, and Blender-Grade Pentane | Federal Register: EPA (Byron Bunker) |
| 20 August 2019 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Reformulated Gasoline and Conventional Gasoline: Requirements for Refiners, Oxygenate Blenders, and Importers of Gasoline; Requirements for Parties in the Gasoline Distribution Network (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Byron J. Bunker) |
| 1 April 2020 | Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Gasoline Volatility | Federal Register: EPA (Byron J. Bunker) |
| 22 May 2020 | Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reformulated Gasoline and Conventional Gasoline: Requirements for Refiners, Oxygenate Blenders, and Importers of Gasoline; Requirements for Parties in the Gasoline Distribution Network (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Courtney Kerwin) |
| 30 October 2020 | Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Gasoline Volatility (Renewal) | Federal Register: EPA (Courtney Kerwin) |
| 10 June 2022 | National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Gasoline Distribution Technology Review and Standards of Performance for Bulk Gasoline Terminals Review The EPA is proposing to revise NESHAP requirements for storage tanks, loading operations, and equipment leaks to reflect cost-effective developments in practices, process, or controls. | Federal Register Notice ( PDF)Signing Official: Michael S. Regan Agency: EPA Topic: Gasoline |
