Background knowledge on the controversial oil blending and oil quality

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Over the years, some private gas stations, particularly those located in urban areas, have adhered to moral principles, operated with integrity, and regarded quality as their top priority. It set an example for the survival and development of the private oil industry. However, the ubiquitous unstandardized blended oil products ultimately end up at retail gas stations. It is an undeniable fact that many of these stations adulterate and sell counterfeit products. Differences in oil quality ultimately manifest in fuel consumption. Consumers who drive vehicles regularly will eventually notice it too. Many consumers believe ； The quality of fuel at social gas stations differs from that at Sinopec and CNPC gas stations. At the same time, there is also a lack of trust in social gas stations. Gasoline detergents have been used worldwide for a long time, and they are also legally mandated gasoline additives in China. Its main function is to ； Disperses colloidal asphaltenes, removes carbon deposits and coking in the engine, and improves overall combustion performance. What the end consumer can see is a reduction in fuel consumption. Sinopec’s quality requirement for detergents is a standard of reducing fuel consumption by more than 3%. Even for gasoline of the same standard, there are differences in additives between retail gas stations and Sinopec, CNPC, and other companies. The volume of oil products sold is the most direct indicator of a gas station’s operational performance. In 2012, social gas stations, which accounted for 54% of all gas stations, contributed only about 15% to the total volume of refined oil sales in the country, a stark contrast to the rapid increase in the number of vehicles. To summarize this phenomenon, its cause is directly related to the quality of the oil. Put simply, consumers have developed a crisis of trust regarding the quality of fuel at social gas stations. Do not select a social gas station. I. The emergence of the first trust crisis in the retail sale of refined oil (social gas stations): The entities responsible for the retail sale of refined oil are gas stations. Before 2003, people trusted the quality of fuel at gas stations and generally did not choose to use other stations. The source of finished oil at gas stations is mainly district and county-level petroleum companies as well as large refineries. During the same period, private gas stations and individual oil transporters began wholesaling refined oil. Around 2005, the number of oil wholesalers increased rapidly; in a single prefecture-level city, there were as many as nearly twenty such wholesalers. The number of wholesalers surged, and fierce competition began. Between 2005 and 2006, competition in the wholesale of petroleum products intensified; in order to gain market share, wholesalers began to adulterate products and reduce costs in order to compete at lower prices. Gas stations lacking knowledge of petroleum products, quality awareness, and testing capabilities purchase cheaper petroleum products by comparing prices. For example, in southwestern Shandong, coke naphtha and No. 200 fractionated oil are used to blend gasoline. Diesel is blended using home-produced diesel, catalytic diesel, and non-standard No. 200 solvent oil, in proportions of nearly one-third each. Gasoline knocking, vapor resistance, and insufficient diesel power were common problems at that time. Private refined oil wholesalers and private gas stations, driven by a desire for quick success and profit, prioritize earnings over quality and have embarked on a kind of ignorant, self-destructive business practice. During the same period, we **acted to protect the interests of farmers by using up aged grain. Along with the promotion of ethanol gasoline, methanol—which has physical properties similar to those of ethanol—has also begun to enter the gasoline market in a disorderly, unscientific, and even近乎 foolish manner. The properties of methanol-containing gasoline determine different usage requirements and operating conditions compared to regular gasoline. As long as methanol gasoline is used, its strong cleaning and dissolving properties will dissolve impurities and deposits in the fuel tank into the gasoline, eventually clogging the fuel pump filter or fuel filter element and disrupting fuel supply. The car stalls and fails to start. In 2007, a gas station located in a highway service area near the capital of a certain province sold 1,200 tons of methanol-blended gasoline per month; the methanol content in this gasoline was 25%, and its quality was extremely poor, to an unimaginable extent. Cars that have been driven over 30,000 kilometers must have their fuel tanks cleaned when using methanol-based gasoline. If a tank is required to be cleaned before refueling, the quality of the gasoline in question is suspected, and no gas station wants to put itself at risk. 1,200 tons of methanol gasoline can fuel 30,000 vehicles. Assuming a minimum accident rate of 20% for methanol gasoline, 6,000 vehicles will stop working as a result each month. This data comes from methanol gasoline producers. The supply disruption caused by methanol-blended gasoline is persistent over time; depending on the cleanliness of the tank, it generally lasts around three days. Low-quality refined oil has harmed consumers. It was also a period of expansion for Sinopec and CNPC. Consumers have the right to choose between Sinopec and CNPC. Social gas stations have pushed consumers directly towards Sinopec and CNPC. By 2007, a crisis of trust in social gas stations among consumers had essentially taken hold, with the result that nearly 50% of petroleum product wholesalers withdrew from the market or went bankrupt. Amid the ensuing difficult operations, the volume of refined oil wholesaling plummeted. A finished oil wholesale company in Jining can dispatch up to 1,700 tons of finished oil per day. The total volume of wholesale oil products declined by 85% in 2007. The volume of fuel sold at social gas stations has dropped sharply, making it difficult for them to operate; some gas stations located in prime locations have been acquired. II. The emergence of the second trust crisis in the retail sales of refined oil: After social gas stations faced a quality trust crisis and lost their customers. Starting to return to rationality, focusing on oil quality, and reflecting on business practices. Some gas stations have begun to reject wholesalers; locally sourced and transported refined oil is now gaining trust among local refineries. After the reshuffling, the shrewd among the refined oil wholesalers also began to pay attention to oil quality, engaging in price competition as well as competition based on quality. To survive, some gas stations and wholesalers relied on family ties, friendships, and various social connections to find ways to acquire customers and reshape the market. Market confidence began to recover in 2008, and the situation stabilized during 2009–2010. During that period, the restrictions on the sale of secondary petroleum products by CNPC and Sinopec allowed large amounts of low-quality fuel to enter gas stations and be mixed into diesel. After the sales restriction was lifted, quality issues led to a short-term decline in sales at retail gas stations. By 2009, although the popularity of independent gas stations had recovered to some extent, a large number of such stations were acquired during that period, which severely affected their competitiveness and overall sales volume. And it left consumers with the impression of poor quality. In 2010, a breakthrough was achieved in the production technology for methyl acetal, enabling large-scale production to begin. Methyl acetal, used in insecticides and refrigerants, is favored for its good solubility in gasoline and low cost. It began to be used in blending gasoline, and its use surged starting in 2011. Methyl acetal can also be found in Beijing V gasoline. The price of methyl acetal-blended gasoline currently available on the market is lower than that of domestically produced gasoline by over a thousand yuan. The temptation of profits and fake experts. The profit-driven promotion of methylal gasoline by pseudo-professors has led to its widespread use. The octane number of methylal can only be determined by professional researchers on a WAKSHA CFR octane tester in the United States. To this day, very few people know its exact octane rating. The methylal modifier promoted by a certain professor is merely a repackaged version of obsolete aniline-based anti-knock agents. It claims to have solved several major global problems at once; this is nothing but blatant deception. The octane numbers for methyl acetal as provided by experts and professors are also estimated values. Methyl acetal has a high density, a calorific value that is less than 50% of that of gasoline, and a very low octane rating. Although dimethoxymethane gasoline does not separate from regular gasoline and thus does not cause vehicles to stall, its combustion performance is **lower than that of methanol gasoline. Octane rating, power output, fuel consumption, and saturated vapor pressure of methyl acetal gasoline differ from those of conventional gasoline. To gain profits, pseudo-experts spread false claims exaggerating the quality of methyl acetate gasoline, thereby misleading gas station owners as well. Gas stations also have difficulty detecting the octane number and vapor pressure of their fuels. It is mainly the temptation of profit that has led to the proliferation of methylal gasoline at gas stations. It is an open secret that social gas stations sell or mix methacrolein gasoline. The decline in the overall quality of gasoline at gas stations has long caused concern and dissatisfaction among consumers. Methylal gasoline drew consumer backlash in 2011. Consumers’ concerns and lack of trust regarding the quality of social gas stations have in turn affected the normal sales of diesel. By mid-2012, a second trust crisis among consumers regarding social gas stations had emerged, resulting in a sharp decline in the sales of refined oil at those stations. Currently, the sales dilemma of refined oil products. While there are various factors at play, it is related to the crisis of trust consumers have in gas stations. III. Methanol-gasoline and alcohol-based fuels that can cause a trust crisis among consumers mainly refer to fuels containing methanol and ethanol. For ease of distinction, methanol fuel is denoted by M, ethanol fuel by E, and the following number indicates the alcohol content. There are various combustion methods for alcohol fuels in automotive engines, including spark plug ignition, glow plug-assisted combustion, mixed combustion, mechanical mixing, dual injector method, and engine modification. The RON of methanol is 106–117, which is roughly equivalent to that of ethanol; it can therefore be used as a fuel for gasoline engines and as a component in gasoline blends. Some areas in our country are also using methanol gasoline. Regarding vehicle combustion, for methanol-blended gasoline, an appropriate level of methanol is required, along with strict regulations for blending, storage, transportation, and use. Such regulations should cover aspects such as the cleaning of gas station storage tanks, the moisture absorption function of vent valves, and the cleaning of vehicle fuel tanks and fuel systems. With strict safeguards, cars can be used. However, this is difficult to achieve; the add-on amount is reasonable, but there are too many beneficiaries, making it impossible to fulfill the desire for profit. Methanol gasoline formulators dare not indicate it or make it explicit. The market views methanol gasoline as being adulterated and associated with many accidents; once this is made clear, no customers are left. Cleaning the customer’s car’s fuel tank and fuel system before refueling will surely arouse suspicion and scare the customer away. Methanol gasoline is simply gasoline that contains methanol. Many so-called experts call it that ； ‘\"Modified\" or \"altered\" methanol gasoline – such terms are a form of deception; they cannot change the physical properties of methanol nor its chemical properties. The so-called \"modification\" or \"alteration\" is merely an attempt to make more money from it. Fuel ethanol is referred to as ’denatured’ ethanol; its full name is denatured ethanol for use as fuel. Denaturation serves to alter the suitability of ethanol for consumption, serving as a reminder not to drink it as alcohol, and it also prevents the direct resale of ethanol for profit, as the price of ethanol can sometimes be higher than that of gasoline, **requiring subsidies even in such cases. Abroad, dyes are commonly used for warning coloration. The cetane number of methanol is <5 units, and the cetane number of diesel containing 20% methanol decreases by 9 units. Alcohol-based diesel, affected by its ignition properties, remains at the research and experimental stage only. At present, the so-called experts on methanol diesel in society are mostly just names in name only, associated with academicians and M75 diesel linked to them. Experts and professors from industries other than the oil sector who have not studied combustion may easily assume that methanol and diesel can be used for combustion just because they are mutually soluble; this is incorrect. Fuel oils intended for different purposes require different, stringent combustion conditions. Gasoline and diesel are not simple liquid fuels; they are compositions of various hydrocarbons in strict proportions. The ignition properties of methanol-diesel do not meet the combustion requirements of diesel engines. In 2005, China began to promote ethanol-blended gasoline; ethanol is produced from grain, and its average price at that time was higher than that of gasoline. Sinopec and CNPC received **subsidies** for producing ethanol-blended gasoline. The price of methanol is one-third that of gasoline, and methanol, which has physical properties similar to ethanol, is used to blend with gasoline. Methanol is a monohydric alcohol, meaning it contains both an oily hydrocarbon group and a hydrophilic hydroxyl group; its hydrophilicity is greater than its lipophilicity, and it has a high degree of hygroscopicity. In 150 hours, it can absorb 22% of its own weight in water from the air; it is capable of mixing with gasoline, but after absorbing water it separates from gasoline. The density of methanol is: 0.79 kg/m², boiling point: 64.5℃ ； Heat of vaporization: 1100 calories, three times that of gasoline, which is the direct cause of difficulties in cold starting. Octane rating: RON ≈ 106–115; oxygen content: 50%; calorific value: 4700 kcal, which is only about 44% of that of gasoline. In terms of combustion properties, methanol can be used as a vehicle fuel and a blending component for gasoline. The 1973 world oil crisis. In 1975, Sweden was the first to propose the use of methanol as a fuel for vehicles, and established **level research and development institutions ； An international technical seminar was held in 1976, and it has been convened every 1–2 years; an international permanent body was also established. Subsequently, countries such as Japan, the United States, and Brazil established research institutions for the development of alcohol-based fuels. In 1978, the United States was the first to introduce ethanol-based E10 gasoline. Germany, which faced a shortage of petroleum resources, was the first to introduce methanol-based M15 gasoline in 1979, and it also developed vehicles that could run on pure methanol. Methanol gasoline was banned worldwide in the late 1980s. California, USA, was the first to pass legislation banning it. Japan banned its use nationwide starting in 1988, and the FIA established strict requirements in 1998 (through fuel specifications) prohibiting the use of methanol gasoline in vehicles produced. Cars that use methanol fuel since 2000 are not covered under warranty. The direct reason for the global ban on methanol fuel is ； Methanol-blended gasoline releases formaldehyde upon combustion, causing severe environmental pollution ； The hazards of formaldehyde are well known. Some experts in China regard the packaging and promotion of methanol gasoline as ； Clean gasoline, eco-friendly gasoline, green fuels, reduced emissions, environmental protection. It is the exact opposite of the direct factors that led to the ban on methanol gasoline worldwide. Almost all **environmental protection laws** in the world include methanol among the harmful substances in gasoline and subject it to regulation. World gasoline standards impose strict controls on oxygen content; excessive oxygen levels can affect the operation and regulation of a vehicle’s closed-loop control system. Today’s top-of-the-line cars will automatically stop running once fueled with methanol. Some experts in China regard the packaging and promotion of methanol gasoline as ； High oxygen-content fuels for combustion assistance and emission reduction. There is an old Chinese saying: \"Good quality goods are not cheap; cheap goods are of poor quality.\" Methanol costs only one-third as much as gasoline, and it certainly has significant drawbacks when used as a fuel. Otherwise, the price wouldn’t be so low. It is precisely the low price of methanol, along with the large price difference compared to gasoline, that allows for profit-making. In pursuit of profit, so-called professors and experts – whether knowledgeable or not, professional or not – have draped methanol gasoline in attractive labels such as clean fuel, green fuel, environmentally friendly fuel, altered fuel, or modified fuel. Since the 1980s, China’s Science and Technology Commission and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have organized universities, colleges, and research institutions to conduct systematic research on the partial and full substitution of alcohols as fuels for combustion purposes. However, methanol gasoline has not been promoted for use. China’s various **gasoline standards strictly prohibit the intentional addition of methanol; the methanol content in gasoline must be less than 0.3%. This limit is in place because China allows the use of MTBE as an additive, and since MTBE contains methanol, the methanol content in gasoline is kept below 0.3%. China’s laws and regulations stipulate that **the standard represents the highest quality requirement; when local standards are not in line with **this standard, the **quality standard must be followed. Therefore, gasoline containing methanol is considered an illegal product in China. The provinces of Shanxi, Henan, and Shaanxi in China have all established M15 gasoline standards and promoted or tacitly permitted its use. But at the **level, it has not been approved. Our country has also established that only methanol gasoline with an 85% methanol content is legal in China. To burn M85 methanol gasoline, the engine must be modified, and our country has imposed strict regulations prohibiting the unauthorized modification of vehicles and engines. In other words, the use of methanol-based gasoline is prohibited, but this measure leaves room for future adjustments. The same rule was established in California, USA, after methanol gasoline was banned there. After being punished by the market in 2007, and even facing bankruptcy, methanol gasoline producers returned to sanity and began to approach methanol gasoline in a scientific and cautious manner. At this time, experts, professors, and even academicians who had left the front lines of work outside the petrochemical industry began to advocate for methanol fuel in a fanatical and even foolish manner, with elements of deception and profit-seeking involved. Leveraging their positions, professors and academicians portrayed methanol fuel as a gold mine waiting to be developed, China’s last highly profitable industry. It attracted some socioeconomic professionals to start participating in the methanol fuel industry. Social and economic leaders have once again received **recognition and support, yet in practice, the production and promotion of methanol fuel remains the responsibility of individual actors and enterprises. The promotion and application of methanol gasoline in Weifang, Shandong. It was a company in Weifang that, after failing in its attempts to produce biodiesel, decided, under the advice of experts, to switch to manufacturing methanol fuel oil; it also filed enterprise standards for M25 and M30 methanol gasoline and diesel with the Provincial Technical Supervision Bureau. At the same time, it utilized its own resources to gain support from Weifang City **. Document No. 49 of 2011 issued by the Weifang Government Office is the notice regarding the promotion and use of methanol-based gasoline and diesel throughout the city. But the city **is not a consumer. The city ** will not clean the fuel tanks of each car, nor will it provide subsidies to consumers for fuel consumption. Weifang is also not a region where ethanol-blended gasoline is promoted, and methanol-blended gasoline cannot be used there, nor can fake ethanol-blended gasoline. At present, the promotion of methanol gasoline in Weifang remains only on paper. At the same time, a certain company also suffered huge losses and found itself in a difficult situation; it was forced to deal with an accident every time it sold a vehicle filled with methanol gasoline. As knowledge about oils increases. They also hold deep resentment toward the professors and academicians who tempted them to produce methanol fuel. 75% methanol-diesel produced by a certain academician was also introduced in Weifang, resulting in a ridiculous situation with people left without work. Shandong has many experts in the petroleum and chemical industries; representatives from the scientific and technological community were present at both the provincial people’s congress and the political consultative conference in 2012, and they raised doubts about the adoption of methanol gasoline in Weifang. Question the environmental hazards of methanol gasoline. The CPPCC expert group visited Weifang in May 2012. To date, the provinces in China that have promoted the use of methanol gasoline include Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, and others. Although there are many provinces, the total volume of methanol-based gasoline sold is not high; only in Shanxi Province is the use of M15 methanol gasoline promoted in a systematic manner, and consumers do not have the option to choose gasoline without methanol. Although methanol gasoline first appeared in Henan, it was already rejected by consumers long ago. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, M30 methanol gasoline was once sold under regulated conditions; its price per liter was 0.8 yuan lower than that of regular gasoline. Although this seemed cost-effective, the fuel consumption was very high, and the 0.8 yuan savings were not enough to offset the higher fuel costs on highways, making it difficult to operate such businesses. A gasoline vapor content of >2% can cause gasoline vapor resistance. (Conclusion of Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Research Institute) A gasoline-methanol mixture with a content of >3% can cause deterioration in vehicle performance. (Japanese research findings) When the methanol content in gasoline exceeds 5%, mutual solubility and stratification occur. (One can conduct experiments on their own): A gasoline-methanol mixture with a content of >10-15% will result in insufficient power and higher fuel consumption (according to the Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Research Institute). Methanol gasoline causes severe corrosion to engines. The combustion of methanol gasoline releases formaldehyde, causing severe environmental pollution. Among all types of fuels, methanol gasoline has the highest probability of causing vehicles to stall or break down in China. A notable example of a major incident is the Anyang red oil incident ； The repeatedly occurring quality scandals in Hangzhou aside, the number of incidents where private gas stations caused vehicles to break down due to phase separation of methanol gasoline is difficult to quantify. There are many Chinese people, and likewise many who seek to make huge profits; thus, one group of participants in methanol gasoline comes and goes, only to be replaced by another. It can be said that methanol gasoline and low-quality blended gasoline have harmed consumers, causing them to turn away from social gas stations. IV. Methyl acetal gasoline, which causes a trust crisis among consumers. Methyl acetal is also known as ； Formaldehyde dimethyl acetal ； Dimethoxymethane. It has a molecular formula of C3H8, a molecular weight of 76.1, a boiling point of 42.3 degrees, and a density of 0.86. It is highly soluble in gasoline, as well as having limited solubility in water. Methyl acetal is mainly used in insecticides, refrigerants, and low-boiling industrial solvents. The industrial grade has a content of 82–85%, with methanol and formaldehyde as the other impurities. The theoretical oxygen content is 42%, and the actual value is higher. The measured calorific value is slightly higher than that of methanol; however, its RON is very low. Currently, the price is around 3,000 yuan, which is less than half the price of gasoline. Due to its good miscibility with gasoline, dimethoxymethane does not cause widespread engine stalling incidents like methanol does. It is used in gasoline blending and has quickly become widely used throughout the country. From 2011 to the beginning of 2012, the price of methyl acetal gasoline was about 1,200 yuan per ton lower than that of gasoline produced by domestic refineries. The acetal content in acetal gasoline ranges from about 5% to 20%. Methyl acetal has a high density and a low boiling point. During the mixing process, it is first necessary to adjust the density of methyl acetal to meet the requirements for gasoline density. To reduce the density, low-density light gasoline (naphtha) is required; for every 1 part of dimethoxymethane, 2.5–3.5 parts of light gasoline are needed to lower the density. In such blended gasoline, there is very little of the gasoline fraction above 120 degrees, and its octane rating is low, making it difficult to meet the minimum requirements for combustion. To make a profit and gain a competitive edge, methylal is added in excess ； A maximum addition of 25%. Gasoline with an excessive amount of methyl acetal has a very low octane rating. Low calorific value, high fuel consumption, and poor resistance to burning. Air blockage can occur easily. Methylal gasoline can cause engine knocking and abnormal valve noises. Methylal gasoline is cheap. It is around 1,200 yuan per ton, lower than that of domestic refining enterprises. Methyl acetal gasoline does not cause widespread shutdowns or major quality incidents. It is an open secret that social gas stations sell or mix methacrolein gasoline. Methylal gasoline reduced the overall quality of gasoline at retail stations, and was the main cause of the second consumer trust crisis. V. Hazards and impacts of substandard oil products on the market: Just a few storage tanks, a graduated cylinder, and a densitometer are sufficient to blend gasoline. The blended gasoline may be labeled as meeting national standards, not meeting them, suitable for use alone, or suitable for blending with other fuels. There are very few gasoline blenders who have tested the octane number of gasoline; even if they wanted to, there’s no way for them to do so. Quality indicators are basically speculative indicators. It’s unclear to what extent this non-standard gasoline deviates from standard specifications. It’s also unknown which vehicles can run solely on it, how long they can run on it, and to what extent it affects fuel consumption. Furthermore, it remains unknown how much of it can be blended with regular gasoline, and how much the quality of the mixture changes as a result. The standard temperature for measuring the saturated vapor pressure of gasoline is 37.8°C. The boiling point of methylal is 42°C; due to the cooling effect of the engine, the temperature at the end of the fuel inlet pipe can reach up to 80°C. The vaporization of methylal inevitably creates air resistance, resulting in difficulty in increasing the engine’s speed and a decrease in power output. Experts can resolve this inevitable problem with god-like ease. Experts can increase the calorific value of methylal, and Newton’s law of conservation of energy can also be easily overcome. Experts on the octane rating of methyl acetal can guess, and it can even be increased at will. For small-scale oil blenders, the standard to be followed when formulating gasoline is, properly speaking, the \"oral standard\" – the standard stated verbally. Whatever standard is set, that’s the standard. Meet whatever standards you need. Amid the proliferation of methylal gasoline, so-called experts and professors also played a negative role, promoting their own products and technologies for profit. Experts and professors artificially and even deceptively inflate the quality of methyl acetal gasoline, misleading fuel formulators and gas stations that face difficulties in conducting tests. Pseudo-experts are everywhere, fake technologies are promoted everywhere, and oil-formulation methods that violate scientific principles are spread throughout. Institutes and oil science *classes were established everywhere. They make profits by spreading fake technologies and inciting adulteration, while themselves not even knowing the true quality of the blended oils. Presenting inferior oil products as meeting national standards was the idea behind the invention and promotion of \"Mou Biao\" gasoline. By using such labels, they attracted scholars, with the hope of reaping huge profits; yet some of these scholars ended up losing everything. Spending 30,000 yuan on a so-called formula can result in losses of 300,000 or even 3 million yuan – such cases can be found everywhere. Some consulting firms are also involved, and the oil companies have to pay for them. What oil companies buy from certain information companies is harm. Pseudo-experts and fake technologies mislead local oil traders and gas stations, which is also one of the reasons for the trust crisis regarding the quality of fuel at gas stations in society. Local oil distributors, community gas stations ； It is difficult to test and analyze the quality of oil products. Even if you want to have it tested, there’s no way to do so – no place available. Many quality indicators are speculative data, empirical indicators, and pseudo-expert indicators. The important technical parameters for the combustion performance of gasoline are octane number, oxidation induction period, gum content, and saturated vapor pressure. The octane rating tester for CFR gasoline produced in the United States costs over 6 million per unit. There are over 300,000 units of octane-rated single-cylinder engines produced in Shanghai. Oxidation induction period, gasoline gum, and saturated vapor pressure. They also require precise testing equipment, specialized laboratories, and high operating costs. Portable octane testers are produced by several manufacturers in China; they are relatively inexpensive, and some fuel formulators also use them. The working principle is that gasoline with different octane numbers has different dielectric constants. The higher the octane number, the greater the dielectric constant. The octane rating of the gasoline is calculated using its dielectric constant. Its database is derived from 1,000 sets of experimental data from the US CFR octane rating tester, along with the corresponding dielectric constants. The data chip comes from the United States. The experimental data from the United States come from standard gasoline composed of pure hydrocarbons in strict proportions. Portable octane rating testers can only detect standard gasoline that corresponds to the database. The experimental data from the United States has no connection to China’s non-standard gasoline. Chinese manufacturers of portable octane testers do not provide promotions or explanations to sell their products. In particular, when gasoline contains alcohols and aldehydes, its dielectric constant changes abnormally, its octane rating increases dramatically, and the detection error rate reaches 100%. Errors can severely mislead the assessment of quality. This is also what these ‘pseudo-experts’ need and desire the most; portable octane testers have become tools that help them promote the quality of their own fuel. The difficulty for local oil refiners and gas stations to accurately test the quality of gasoline is also one of the reasons behind the trust crisis regarding the quality of fuel at commercial gas stations. Fifthly, quality is the lifeblood of commercial gas stations; it is the key to helping the private fuel industry overcome its difficulties. I am not opposed to using inexpensive resources to blend gasoline, and I have conducted similar research. However, when using cheap materials to blend gasoline, it is essential to follow scientific principles and do so in moderation, so that the engine does not show any signs of distress and fuel consumption does not increase significantly – standards that consumers can accept. It is essential to conduct laboratory tests and analyses on key quality indicators. Oil quality is the lifeblood of gas stations, and many station owners adhere to the principle of putting quality first and operating with integrity, resulting in a steady increase in the total volume of refined oil sold. Products that are adulterated and of poor quality will surely be punished by market rules and rejected by consumers. Social gas stations operate on the same competitive platform as Sinopec and CNPC gas stations; quality is the prerequisite for survival, and only by surviving can there be development. In recent years, Sinopec and CNPC’s policy of inverted wholesale and retail (price) structures for refined oil products has essentially prevented the supply of such products to gas stations across the country. The refined oil supplied to social gas stations relies mainly on oil wholesale blenders and local refineries. The quality of oils supplied by wholesalers and refiners must be tested before trust can be placed in them. Without any testing or analytical methods, one must bear the consequences themselves. The quality of the refined oil produced by local refineries is stable and reliable, making them fully trustworthy. In recent years, well-known companies such as Sinopec, CNPC, CNOOC, AVIC Oil, and Shell have made large-scale long-term purchases of refined oil products produced in Shandong. This is sufficient to show that the gasoline produced by Shandong’s local refineries is of stable, reliable quality and meets the required standards. Otherwise, it would be impossible to enter the Zhongzi Brand gas station. The fuel we purchase at Sinopec and CNPC gas stations may be produced by local refineries. The volume of refined oil sold is the only criterion for measuring the profitability of social gas stations. Making profits by mixing inferior products and selling them is bound to result in the loss of customers; it is a form of self-destructive business practice. To increase the total volume of refined oil sold by social gas stations, these stations must improve the quality of their products, promote that quality, change consumers’ perception of them, boost consumers’ confidence in them, and actively participate in competition. VI. The harm caused by the quality and trust crisis in social gas stations to local refineries. The topic at hand may seem unrelated to local refineries, but in reality it is closely connected to them, even having a profound impact on such refineries. The difficulties in selling refined oil are a challenge that refineries across the country are facing at present, and it is likely that they will have to deal with this issue for a long time. Reliance on Sinopec and CNPC for the procurement of refined oil products is also subject to restrictions from competitors. Local refineries have been expanding their capacity, resulting in a rapid increase in processing capacity. The overall operations of social gas stations are shrinking, and it is difficult to increase the total volume of refined oil sold at these stations, which creates a significant contrast with the increase in the number of vehicles. The current operating conditions of social gas stations will ultimately affect local refineries, either by prompting them to engage in price-cutting and promotional competition, or by leading to an increase in the inventory of refined oil held by these refineries and a reduction in their plant operation efficiency. For several years, the prices of refined oil products set by local refineries have represented the market price of such products. This price is determined by market factors. It has little to do with the wholesale prices of refined oil set by Sinopec and CNPC, as well as with the pricing of refined oil determined by the National Development and Reform Commission. The difference between the market price of refined oil at local refineries and the retail pricing set by the National Development and Reform Commission represents the minimum retail profit for gas stations in society. Taking the sale of locally produced gasoline at social gas stations as an example, it is reasonable for the retail profit margin on gasoline to be around 8%; gas stations should also be satisfied with this. Currently, the price of gasoline at such stations has reached up to 2,500 yuan per ton, resulting in a retail profit margin of 30%, which is abnormal. It shows that local refineries that supply refined oil to social gas stations are competing at low prices, and the competition is fierce. Low-price competition will ultimately affect the profitability of refining companies. The price competition among refineries has benefited social gas stations. The profit margin of social gas stations is **higher than that of those under state-owned brands; however, no matter how large the profit margin is, without sales volume, no profits can be generated. The volume of refined oil sold is the only criterion for measuring the profitability of social gas stations. Making profits by mixing inferior products and selling them is bound to result in the loss of customers; it is a form of self-destructive business practice. Social gas station management capabilities are weak, and there is a lack of awareness regarding quality. Industry professionals in gas station management believe that ； The lower the comprehensive management capability of a social gas station, the greater its potential for development. However, it requires professional and comprehensive management training. Enhance their quality awareness, management capabilities, and competitiveness. The total volume of terminal sales of refined oil has become a bottleneck restricting the healthy development of local refineries. Problems at the retail outlets for refined oil products will inevitably affect the entire refining industry. No single company can assume the responsibilities and obligations of an entire industry. Refining companies should unite to discuss joint approaches and measures, help gas stations improve their awareness of quality and knowledge regarding petroleum products, enhance their overall management capabilities, and assist them in testing the quality of these products. Establish or utilize a platform to promote the importance of quality and enhance the operational capabilities of gas stations. Improve the quality of fuels at gas stations, promote awareness of fuel quality, change consumers’ perception of public gas stations, enhance consumers’ confidence in them, and increase the total volume of refined oil sold by public gas stations. Refining companies should also consider the after-sales service for their refined products, using such services to help gas stations enhance their competitiveness and increase their sales of oil products. Participating in the retail sale of refined oil in different ways is also something that oil refining companies need to consider. As local refineries expand their capacity, retail gas stations shrink, consumers lose trust, and the sales of refined oil products are bound to face difficulties; as a result, the profits of refining companies will surely be affected. This is an issue that requires everyone to address and consider together. Thoughts and suggestions: Oil quality is the lifeblood of gas stations; poor quality will inevitably be punished by market rules and rejected by consumers. Social gas stations compete on the same platform as Sinopec and CNPC gas stations, and quality is the prerequisite for survival. Improving the quality of petroleum products, promoting their quality, changing consumers’ perception of social gas stations, boosting consumers’ confidence in them, and actively participating in competition are all necessary to increase the total volume of refined oil sold by social gas stations. Learn professional knowledge and advanced management practices to enhance their quality awareness, management skills, and competitiveness. Only then can the market share of social gas stations be increased. Increase the total volume of refined oil sales at retail stations, thereby raising their market share ； It’s a ‘good thing’ that brings joy to everyone in the oil industry. ‘How to do good things well requires careful consideration from those in the oil industry. Petroleum professionals also need to reflect deeply on how they can contribute positive energy to the petroleum industry.