Which fuel?

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

With the ongoing closure of refineries around Australia, it depends in which state you live as to who is supplying the fuel, sometimes regardless of the brand of the servo you are pumping from. There are only three players left in Australia: BP in WA which is the largest, Caltex in QLD, Mobil & VIVA in VIC. They all have agreements with various distribution terminals around Australia for example, Caltex supplies BP in Brisbane. At the end of the day, the base fuel is likely very similar no matter where you go. The additives and dyes and whatever other magic solutions are added down the supply chain to distinguish the final product.

[Prone Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prone]

There is one other refinery in Australia.

On last years trip we drove through Eromanga in SW Queensland and discovered there was a refinery there producing diesel fuel under the name of IOR (Inland Oil Refinery) from the local Cooper/Eromanga Basin.

http://ior.com.au/

Seems to have a few outlets mainly in the outback. Australian owned also it seems!

Cheers
Prone

[Steerpike Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Steerpike]

With the ongoing closure of refineries around Australia, it depends in which state you live as to who is supplying the fuel, sometimes regardless of the brand of the servo you are pumping from. There are only three players left in Australia: BP in WA which is the largest, Caltex in QLD, Mobil & VIVA in VIC. They all have agreements with various distribution terminals around Australia for example, Caltex supplies BP in Brisbane. At the end of the day, the base fuel is likely very similar no matter where you go. The additives and dyes and whatever other magic solutions are added down the supply chain to distinguish the final product.

Offroader hit the nail on the head. These days, you cannot expect to receive the same diesel from a particular servo or brand due to much of the supply being imported from the Singapore supply hub. The current Refineries/Cities operating/shutdown situation: Brisbane- Caltex operating, BP shutdown. Sydney- Caltex and Shell shutdown, Melbourne Mobil and Viva operating, Adelaide Mobil shutdown, Perth- BP operating. Eromanga- IOR sounds like it is still operating. Lots of imported stuff comes into- northern WA, NT, North Qld, Sydney. By and large, the quality will be so similar that you won't be able to tell a difference in terms of engine performance. Economy differences come about due to slightly differing fuel density- higher density diesel weighs a bit more, so contains a bit more energy per litre. But you can't predict what it will be as even the same Refinery may make differing diesel density if feedstock or mode of operation is varied. All diesel has met the ULSD (euro spec) sulfur specification for at least 10 years now, so any old stories about differing quality in Australia are no longer valid.

[Coolcol Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close Coolcol]

I hear what your saying but I defiantly get better economy (range) when I fill up with BP ultimate or Caltex Vortex. Its not a big difference but at least .5 a litre better per 100Ks . I use an excel spread sheet to track my fuel/K rates and have done for the life of the vehicle now over 5 years.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

I find premium fuels quieter/less knock than standard diesels, it's just what additives/cetane boosters they add.

Bp I have found the best, especially the ultimate. Vortex I use more, it's good but bp better IMO. Damn Woolworth's dockets.

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Yep BP Ultimate for me...quieter and better economy + warranty on fuel. I understand it is all coming from Asia now but they maust be putting in a cetane booster and other additives locally.

[Stormtrooper Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Stormtrooper]

BP Ultimate

i've used the woolies fuel with great results in previous diesels. from memory it is the same as the caltex stuff anyway.

you say safeway, so i presume you are in victoria. - i'd love to give BP Ultimate a go, but it's not available in NSW.

It IS available everywhere. It is the highest octane diesel in Oz and is as clean as. I have been using it for years and have NEVER had water in my fuel in either of my WFS systems. One Toyota standard and a 5 micron CAT version pre standard. The fuel also burns very cleanly and carbon deposits are at a very minimum compared to other brand fuels. BP conducts testing of their fuels on site.

I use the BP fuel app or site when traveling which shows station locations including Sat-nav coordinates, facilities and fuel types on sale and fuel availability status updates. VERY helpful indeed.
Hope this helps.

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

It IS available everywhere. It is the highest octane diesel in Oz and is as clean as. I have been using it for years and have NEVER had water in my fuel in either of my WFS systems. One Toyota standard and a 5 micron CAT version pre standard.

I think water in diesel is likely a thing of the past with any quality, branded fuel these days. At work I have never seen a drop of water in any of the separators on the diesel gensets and they run tens of thousands of litres through them each year using Mobil diesel. Manufacturers seem pretty confident too as most new common rail diesels just use a paper filter and no water separator. Still it does provide some peace of mind if you got a dud batch out in the sticks.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Well in my local area some servo is still selling water laced fuel. It's not at all uncommon to find a small amount of water in the bottom of fuel filters in diesel vehicles. One fleet we work on seems to be the worst and they prefer the drivers to fuel up at Caltex. Make what you want from that.

[Stormtrooper Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Stormtrooper]

There are also service stations/ petrol retailers that have holding tanks vulnerable to flood and condensate from rain. I know of three off hand that have issues. Just be mindful of where and when you buy. Pick and stick when you have a good supplier I say.