Is shell V-Power really the best?
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,308
Likes: 123
From: Raleigh North Carolina
I work at an oil refinery where we actually make the stuff, I can tell you that when you go to a shell gas station you might actually be buying gasoline that was refined at chevron and vice versa. As someone else eluded to the only difference will be in the additives added by each individual company (techron, V power etc.). All the gasoline is made to a specific spec with a tiny bit of wiggle room as far as sulfur content, summer vs winter blend, etc. So for a given region of the country, it comes down to the additives and not the gasoline itself. I go to the one thats most convenient for me to drive to, and put no more thought into it 
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Nice Arctic White GS! that would have been my choice over the Night Race Blue that I bought recently. My wife has a 2500HD Crew that is White trimmed in black with Black GM running boards that looks really good. Anyway, Yes I realize Gas is Gas but my reply was to the comments about QT. I like and support QT because there is never a wait... and all my autos run great on it! Plus its an easy in & easy out,,, Pumps are clean and working and the window wash bucket is always clean and FULL of soapy water! I do agree, gas is gas. But I do avoid CITGO, Political reasons.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Fairfield California
Generally you will always be getting gas from the closest refinery or refineries. The exceptions would be when a refinery is shut down for periodic maintenance or equipment failure. Then your gas might be coming from a different place, but in general it will be the same boneheads like me refining it to spec at your given gas station day to day. Once it leaves our product tanks it might possibly be blended with several other refineries, as we are all held to the same specs. The only difference at the pump is the additives. Oh and very occasionally a tank might be slightly over spec, so maybe youre getting 94 octane fuel with extremely low sulfur content at a 93 octane pump (just as one basic hypothetical). We are allowed to go over spec just not under it. This is not cost effective for us so we shoot for whatver the spec is and try not to over shoot at all. We sample and sample and sample at every step of the refining process from crude to product so consistency is very accurate.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,062
Likes: 117
Generally you will always be getting gas from the closest refinery or refineries. The exceptions would be when a refinery is shut down for periodic maintenance or equipment failure. Then your gas might be coming from a different place, but in general it will be the same boneheads like me refining it to spec at your given gas station day to day. Once it leaves our product tanks it might possibly be blended with several other refineries, as we are all held to the same specs. The only difference at the pump is the additives. Oh and very occasionally a tank might be slightly over spec, so maybe youre getting 94 octane fuel with extremely low sulfur content at a 93 octane pump (just as one basic hypothetical). We are allowed to go over spec just not under it. This is not cost effective for us so we shoot for whatver the spec is and try not to over shoot at all. We sample and sample and sample at every step of the refining process from crude to product so consistency is very accurate.
But I appreciate the inside info!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Amazing, Shell is very accessable in my area and what I have been using as of late. There are no Chevron stations here. I guess I'll go back to BP. side note: just bought 2 bottles of Techron 20 oz. for $13 at advance they had a sale. Good Info. 
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
No problems with the 10% ethanol. I just prefer 100% pure gas. When running it, car seemed to get slightly better gas mileage with better performance. Can't say Absolutely that it did though.
I do use 100% pure gas is in my power equipment and Stabil when needed.
You are absolutely correct about moisture using E10 and letting it sit. Friend of mine left E10 in a car for a year or two. Talk about a bad smell! He had to drain the tank and refill with fresh fuel.
I do use 100% pure gas is in my power equipment and Stabil when needed.
You are absolutely correct about moisture using E10 and letting it sit. Friend of mine left E10 in a car for a year or two. Talk about a bad smell! He had to drain the tank and refill with fresh fuel.
I pay a few cents more for my 93 octane zero ethanol vs 91 octane(either E10 or zero ethanol) for my Z06, but I get it back in increased performance over 91 octane.
If more people would talk with their local gas stations, they might be able to persuade them to offer zero ethanol premium gas. Let them know what you want. If I can buy ethanol free gas in Springfield, MO, then you should be able to buy ethanol free gas in your town. Check pure-gas.org for stations near you, and support them, so they will continue to sell ethanol free gasoline.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,023
Likes: 2,715
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
When OP asked about "the best", there are at least two ways of answering that question.
If you are looking to keep the inside of your engine clean, then all Top Tier brands are very good, very close, and essentially interchangable. In days gone by, it was good to switch between brands every few thosand miles, but if you stay with Top Tier then you're really splitting hairs by switching brands. But I do it anyway.
If you are talking about preventing knock, in theory all 91 octane should perform identically as discussed in post #38. There are reasons why you might see a difference if data logging, but I would expect any difference to be caused by local variations and not a general brand-specific problem or advantage.
OBSSD needs to provide further details for the rest of us.
If you are looking to keep the inside of your engine clean, then all Top Tier brands are very good, very close, and essentially interchangable. In days gone by, it was good to switch between brands every few thosand miles, but if you stay with Top Tier then you're really splitting hairs by switching brands. But I do it anyway.
If you are talking about preventing knock, in theory all 91 octane should perform identically as discussed in post #38. There are reasons why you might see a difference if data logging, but I would expect any difference to be caused by local variations and not a general brand-specific problem or advantage.
OBSSD needs to provide further details for the rest of us.
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,443
Likes: 7
From: Bristol raceway area
I'm lucky as I can get Top Tier Conoco 93 octane with zero ethanol for my Z06. For my supercharged Mercedes, it runs great on 91 octane zero ethanol from HyVee(same price per gallon as 91 octane from other stations that are E10 91 octane)) and they also have 87 octane, that I use in my lawn mower, with zero ethanol that is the same price as their 87 octane that is E10.
I pay a few cents more for my 93 octane zero ethanol vs 91 octane(either E10 or zero ethanol) for my Z06, but I get it back in increased performance over 91 octane.
If more people would talk with their local gas stations, they might be able to persuade them to offer zero ethanol premium gas. Let them know what you want. If I can buy ethanol free gas in Springfield, MO, then you should be able to buy ethanol free gas in your town. Check pure-gas.org for stations near you, and support them, so they will continue to sell ethanol free gasoline.
I pay a few cents more for my 93 octane zero ethanol vs 91 octane(either E10 or zero ethanol) for my Z06, but I get it back in increased performance over 91 octane.
If more people would talk with their local gas stations, they might be able to persuade them to offer zero ethanol premium gas. Let them know what you want. If I can buy ethanol free gas in Springfield, MO, then you should be able to buy ethanol free gas in your town. Check pure-gas.org for stations near you, and support them, so they will continue to sell ethanol free gasoline.
You are fortunate that you can get pure gas for about the same $$ as E10. That is not the case here.
There are two stations in the area that sell 100% pure gasoline. Their fuel was about $.20-.25 more per gallon than E10.
I had been using them exclusively.
Recently however, the difference is nearly $.60 more per gallon than E10.
All of the Chevron stations are gone leaving Shell, BP, Sunoco and Exxon along with a few (non top tier) no names.
Still have wally world and food city gas.
