Senior refining executives were called to Washington, DC, in June, around the time U.S. gas prices hit their high-water mark for the year, as the government sought recommendations about how to increase the supply of gasoline. One suggestion made to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm was to relax sulfur specifications on fuels, including the Tier 3 gasoline sulfur specifications. But what is the connection between those rules and the U.S. refining system’s ability to produce gasoline? In today’s RBN blog, we explain how the Tier 3 rules constrain gasoline supply capacity in the U.S. and discuss ways to break free from those chains.
The Future of Fuels bi-annual report by RBN's Refined Fuels Analytics provides an in-depth analysis of the U.S. and global refinery industries, focusing on crude oil and fuel market dynamics, supply and demand, alternative fuels, refinery capacities, and price forecasts to help stakeholders navigate the evolving energy landscape.
In Part 1 of this series, we detailed how the retail “price” of octane — the primary yardstick of gasoline quality and price — has marched steadily higher over the past decade, led by a market now impacted more by demand than production costs. Just as octane demand has been increasing, however, a number of factors have been tamping down octane supply and recently spurred a run-up in the retail price of octane, measured by the difference between the pump prices of premium and regular gasoline, which has gone from a 20-cent differential to about 80 cents per gallon. In Part 2, we focused on a critical refinery stream called fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) gasoline. It is produced in the FCC (see dashed black oval in Figure 1), a chemical reactor that “cracks” high-sulfur oil molecules into valuable gasoline molecules. FCC gasoline (labeled as FCC naphtha) makes up 40% of the U.S. gasoline supply.
Join Backstage Pass to Read Full Article
About the song
“Breaking the Chains” was written by Don Dokken and George Lynch and appears as the first song on side one of Dokken’s debut album of the same name. The song was originally released as a single in Europe in 1981 from the album on the French label Carrere Records. The song and album were entitled “Breakin’ the Chains” while on Carrere Records. After securing a deal with Elektra Records in the U.S. in 1983, the album and singles were released as “Breaking the Chains.” Released as a single on Elektra Records in November 1983, it went to #32 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Singles chart. Personnel on the record were: Don Dokken (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), George Lynch (lead guitar, backing vocals), Juan Croucier (bass, backing vocals), and Mick Brown (drums).
The album, Breaking the Chains, was originally recorded in Cologne, Germany, at Dierks Studios, with Michael Wagener producing. The album was re-mixed, partially re-recorded, slightly re-named, and re- released by Elektra Records in November 1983. It went to #136 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Four singles were released from the LP.
Dokken is an American glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. They split up in 1989 and re-formed again in 1993. The classic lineup of the band consisted of Don Dokken (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), George Lynch (lead guitar), Jeff Pilson (bass), and Mick Brown (drums). Fourteen people have passed through the band since its inception. They have released 11 studio albums, six live albums, nine compilation albums, one EP, and 36 singles. Dokken has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. The band still tours, with Don Dokken being the only original member in the band.
