Cost of Av Gas and Fuel.Please Explain
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Cost of Av Gas and Fuel.Please Explain
I was always of the understanding that Australia met its own fuel and oil needs.
In Fact we were an exporter of oil.
Have things changed or have I been misinformed.?
If ,however, we do meet our own requirements why does the price oscillate at the bowser.
In Fact we were an exporter of oil.
Have things changed or have I been misinformed.?
If ,however, we do meet our own requirements why does the price oscillate at the bowser.
Grandpa Aerotart
My understanding has been that the oil we produce in Bass Straight etc is extremely high quality 'light sweet' crude oil...very easily refined. Australia exports that and imports cheaper 'sour' oil to refine into various petroleum products. The wild swings are because the Govt linked the price here to the price on the Singapore oil market.
Avgas is a little different because it still has minute amounts of TEL in it. That means there are production/transport/storage/economies of scale issues...so avgas is more expensive.
Avgas is a little different because it still has minute amounts of TEL in it. That means there are production/transport/storage/economies of scale issues...so avgas is more expensive.
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A bloke I know told me (so it must be true) that there is only one or two refineries in the world (Texas apparently) that produce AvGas hence it's quite stable price (monthly changes typically).
Where do they make AvGas?
Where do they make AvGas?
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A few years ago in NZ there was an issue with a batch of fuel imported from Australia... it caused all sorts of mayhem with various fuel system components failing -from memory, fuel lines, pump diaphragms and other components were susceptible to degradation from use of this batch. I don't recall all the details too clearly now, but it may have had something to do with the addition of ethanol to the fuel -I'm sure others will have a clearer recollection and provide the accurate info...
Point is, this batch was refined in and sourced from Australia. Leads me to believe there is or was at least some AvGas refining ability in the West Island.
Point is, this batch was refined in and sourced from Australia. Leads me to believe there is or was at least some AvGas refining ability in the West Island.
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Just out of interest, the cheapest Avgas price for October is $1.82 per litre including GST, the highest being $2.21 at Groote Eylandt/Alyangula. Price changes on where u are.
Regardless of what we buy and sell we are nowhere near self sufficient in liquid petroleum production, in fact local production is falling off a cliff largely through Bass strait output being past its best, the balance of trade figures these imports create (hourly) are a real eye opener. Note this relates to oil, not energy, which we are a net exporter of.
Guessing a little bit but quite sure avgas is made at Kwinana in WA and Altona in Vic. (The stuff with the crud in a few years ago came from there I believe.)
TEL comes from the UK and there are plenty of Avgas producers, tis definitely a boutique fuel tho.
Guessing a little bit but quite sure avgas is made at Kwinana in WA and Altona in Vic. (The stuff with the crud in a few years ago came from there I believe.)
TEL comes from the UK and there are plenty of Avgas producers, tis definitely a boutique fuel tho.
RadioSaigon
There was a major Avgas contamination crisis back in 2000 in Australia that grounded every aircraft using Mobil/BP fuel. It was caused by additive that was to make the fuel more identyfiable by certain colour change. It attacked copper and alloy components of the fuel system causing corrosion and breaking down of gaskets and sealants.
Obviously this batch of fuel made it across to NZ.
The only aircrafts were not affected that were running on Shell fuel at the time. My aircraft was grounded for 10 months until so called scientists were trying to find a solution how to decontaminate the entire fuel system of all aircraft affected.
At the end guess what the solution was???.....
Simply flushed it out with water and refilled with Shell fuel. That took 10 goddamn months to figure out.
Most of us got compensated by the fuel companys but for the lot of us it was already to late.
As for where it is produced? I beleive most of it comes from Victoria.
Obviously this batch of fuel made it across to NZ.
The only aircrafts were not affected that were running on Shell fuel at the time. My aircraft was grounded for 10 months until so called scientists were trying to find a solution how to decontaminate the entire fuel system of all aircraft affected.
At the end guess what the solution was???.....
Simply flushed it out with water and refilled with Shell fuel. That took 10 goddamn months to figure out.
Most of us got compensated by the fuel companys but for the lot of us it was already to late.
As for where it is produced? I beleive most of it comes from Victoria.
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sms777
Yup thanks for that, certainly sounds like the same event. From memory there were a couple of aircraft in NZ that suffered in-flight shut-downs as a consequence of this, although I don't recall any hull-losses attributable. There was a fleet-wide grounding effective for a couple of days until the culprit was identified and appropriate actions taken to prevent exposure... caused a worrying week or 2 with avgas in relatively short supply. I don't recall any aircraft being grounded for anything like 10 months!!! Surely replacement of the affected components and running on certified clean fuel would have got those airframes back in production much sooner?
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Mobil in Altona (Melbourne) produces Avgas. They had quite a pickle a few years ago.
The price of avgas fluctuates depending on a lot of things, including what singapore trades it as, where you buy it (transport costs), and it varies depending on who you are, too. (We charge
's more than nice people).
The price of avgas fluctuates depending on a lot of things, including what singapore trades it as, where you buy it (transport costs), and it varies depending on who you are, too. (We charge
's more than nice people).
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Sh!t @ $2.50 ltr that hurts
C see why the RAA fraternity are growing, lawn mower fuel must be cheaper
Funny how one thing leads to another, the fuel contamination of 2000 ultimetly put me where I am today, crusin'
Avgas indeed could get somewhat harder to procure in the future. I know Tulla in ML used to have to make it available as an international destination for ICAO reasons but not these days. In fact just as a side note I flew into Tulla a few times many years ago now as a PVT pilot obtaining fuel also, did it 'cause at the time I thought I was important
2 man refueling also even on a C172, oh how times have changed.
CW
C see why the RAA fraternity are growing, lawn mower fuel must be cheaperFunny how one thing leads to another, the fuel contamination of 2000 ultimetly put me where I am today, crusin'
Avgas indeed could get somewhat harder to procure in the future. I know Tulla in ML used to have to make it available as an international destination for ICAO reasons but not these days. In fact just as a side note I flew into Tulla a few times many years ago now as a PVT pilot obtaining fuel also, did it 'cause at the time I thought I was important
2 man refueling also even on a C172, oh how times have changed.
CW
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Avgas
Time for a few facts;
1. Mobil Altona does not make Avgas. Production ceased after the contaminated fuel issue of 2000 something.
2. Only BP Kwinana in WA and Shell Geelong in Victoria produce Avgas and are the only refineries in Oz geared up to do so (unless Altona resumes production-most unlikely)
3. The contamination issue arose as a result of the injection of a chemical into the process stream to minimize corrosion in the steel pipework within the refinery. Unfortunately minute amouts of said chemical made its way into the final product tanks and hence to market. The chemical was not corrosive but has an affinity for brass/ copper components in carburettors etc possibily resulting in a build up of a gum on float valves that could lead to sticking valves leading to fuel starvation as a worst case scenario. As far as I know, there were no actual accidents/ incidents due to the contamination issue. I believe the product recall was basically precautionary.
4. The contamination was not detected in the quality control testing of the product simply because there was no requirement to test for the presence of it. (an organic amine compound to neutralise acidic components in the blendstock). Production of Avgas requires the use of highly acidic catalyst material to produce the high octane blendstock..
5. Avgas is more expensive to produce than Mogas.
Cheers
Octane
1. Mobil Altona does not make Avgas. Production ceased after the contaminated fuel issue of 2000 something.
2. Only BP Kwinana in WA and Shell Geelong in Victoria produce Avgas and are the only refineries in Oz geared up to do so (unless Altona resumes production-most unlikely)
3. The contamination issue arose as a result of the injection of a chemical into the process stream to minimize corrosion in the steel pipework within the refinery. Unfortunately minute amouts of said chemical made its way into the final product tanks and hence to market. The chemical was not corrosive but has an affinity for brass/ copper components in carburettors etc possibily resulting in a build up of a gum on float valves that could lead to sticking valves leading to fuel starvation as a worst case scenario. As far as I know, there were no actual accidents/ incidents due to the contamination issue. I believe the product recall was basically precautionary.
4. The contamination was not detected in the quality control testing of the product simply because there was no requirement to test for the presence of it. (an organic amine compound to neutralise acidic components in the blendstock). Production of Avgas requires the use of highly acidic catalyst material to produce the high octane blendstock..
5. Avgas is more expensive to produce than Mogas.
Cheers
Octane
