I know that our local refinery (about 30 miles from here) refines crude, then blends it with whatever additives are needed to make the gasoline (or whatever the finished product is) "brand specific". Then ships it to all local stations, no matter what brand they sell. They (the refinery) also have a number of underground pipelines and they push product from here to Chicago, Indianapolis, Lambert field (St. Louis), Effingham Il. and lord only knows where else. Fuel that is transported through underground pipelines normally doesn't get "brand specific" additives until gets closer to it's destination because the same fuel (leaving here) is sold to a number of different brand retailers, so it's normally blended at or on it's way to "that brands" holding tank.
I've never said anything about gas before, because I don't want to sound like a "big shot" or anything, but I don't know that I have ever had a fuel related problem with any gasoline engine (this could also be nothing more than plain old dumb luck). I buy my gas locally (from a busy station) and sometimes (like in the winter) I'll have a couple of five gallon cans that will set two or three months before being used. The only time I ever use any kind of fuel treatment, is when I add seafoam to a tank, for something that I think may be cruddy on the inside, and I've never bought or used Stabil (although my Brother, who lives across the street from me, does on a regular basis).
I believe that a lot of "bad fuel" problems depend on how far the fuel (finished product) has traveled and how long it takes to get there, along with how long it sets before you actually buy it. I have no scientific evidence but I also think that pumping fuel through hundreds and hundreds of miles of underground steel pipe doesn't do it any good and I really don't care for the fact that diesel fuel was pumped through this pipe one minute and gasoline the next.
In short, I blame my lack of fuel related problems on having a refinery practically in my back yard and the freshest fuel on the market at my fingertips pretty-much any time I want/need it. Although for other reasons I don't know that I really care so much for having a refinery in my back yard. I guess every silver lining has a black cloud in it.
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