Fuel Quality - Why Is Our Fuel Low Quality

[Sifaan]

Hi all

Some problems (e.g. GDI vehicles in Sri Lanka) seem to somehow relate to "the quality of fuel in Sri Lanka". (or maybe that's a scapegoat used by some manufacturers/agents when they can't figure out the problem)

So what is the problem with the fuel here? is it actually any different to similar grade fuel in other countries? is it just poor storage/transport leading to "rodu" in the fuel?

(I know this maybe tough to answer unless someone has imported a car they used abroad )

Also, given that Ceypetco fuel is refined locally, and IOC imports refined fuel, is there any qualitative difference between the two?

I found this post by Virentsi saying the quality is better at IOC/Laugfs - does anyone else have an experience with this?

(BTW didn't want to reply there as that was a injector cleaning thread)

afaik laugfs uses ceypetco fuel, so inherent quality should be the same, but maybe they have cleaner storage or something...

[Ruslan]

Have seen few newspaper commercials "Manual Injector Pump technology" which suits sri lankan conditions by famous truck importer. i think this referred to Diesel trucks. as the JDM imported trucks contain with Common rail technology and end up with Injector pump problems due to the local Diesel quality (Sulfur Content) issues.

GDI engine issue is more of a Octane issue rather than impurities right?

Edited September 16, 2010 by Ruslan

[xXx]

CPC fuel is not refined locally, only a very small amount is refined.

Just like other goods refined fuel also have different qualities. This mainly depend on which countries crude oil is used and how it is refined. Refineries are set in a way that it can only refine crude oil from certain regions. In order to keep the costs low authorities have decided to bring fuel with slightly lower quality.

I'm not in a position to comment but I won't be surprised if storage and transportation methods used contribute to this issue too.

[isurujosh]

i think i have read in this forum that the GDI issue is only with 90 octane. with 95 octane there is said to be no issue.

anyway i have noticed that our cefiro does better on fuel and is smoother (subjectively) when i use IOC extra premium as oppose to regular gasoline, may be owig to addtional octane rate compared to regular 90 octane. i don't pump 95 octane as a policy since of late, so i don't really know how 95 octane would react.

Edited September 16, 2010 by isurujosh

[Watchman]

i think i have read in this forum that the GDI issue is only with 90 octane. with 95 octane there is said to be no issue.

anyway i have noticed that our cefiro does better on fuel and is smoother (subjectively) when i use IOC extra premium as oppose to regular gasoline, may be owig to addtional octane rate compared to regular 90 octane. i don't pump 95 octane as a policy since of late, so i don't really know how 95 octane would react.

In Japan you get petrol upto around 98 octane, hence some engines are designed with that in mind. And when those cars come here and are given 90oct or 95 oct they start to knock (at least on 90); which is more or less the root cause for the GDI engines. yes?

[Sifaan]

CPC fuel is not refined locally, only a very small amount is refined.

eh? so what are they doing @ Sapugaskanda? I thought all the fuel refining was happening there (and that the LPG output of that was what is sold by laugfs - hence can sell cheaper than shell who has to import gas).

Just like other goods refined fuel also have different qualities. This mainly depend on which countries crude oil is used and how it is refined. Refineries are set in a way that it can only refine crude oil from certain regions. In order to keep the costs low authorities have decided to bring fuel with slightly lower quality.

@ Uni a lecturer said that our refineries were "calibrated" for Iranian crude; that's part of the reason I was wondering if maybe they use a somewhat better grade in India.

and guys, I brought up the GDI story because that's one area where I've heard the "fuel quality" issue come up, but I would appreciate if we can prevent this thread becoming a 90 vs extra premium vs 95 vs 98 discussion (which has been discussed before elsewhere)

What I want to know is if there is a quality difference between fuel of same grade @ IOC / Ceypetco / LAUGFS

personally I'm only interested in 95 petrol, but it's more useful if we keep it open (90 petrol and also diesel)

As a related part of that question, I would like to understand what is meant by "quality". Is it only the RON and the level of particle impurities ("rodu")?

[SeanD]

@ Uni a lecturer said that our refineries were "calibrated" for Iranian crude; that's part of the reason I was wondering if maybe they use a somewhat better grade in India.

Not sure how it compares with India, but I do remember learning in Uni some years back that Iran has much thicker crude than the other major oil producers. Guess that could have something to do with how any other oil in the refineries react.

[3000cc]

Guys,

What we do in Srilanka.

We Import normal petrol & other fuel which is 60% to 75% of the market request.For other 25% we bring crude Oil & do the needful in sapugaskanda.From that only we are generating Small bit of gas.(They are going to put this to the market for last 5 to 10years Spectco Gas.) Then the Tar which we use for roads.Like wise.But IOC they only bring refine fuel from India.