WEB-24-20 Big Changes in the U.S. Octane Market

Description:

Three big changes in the U.S. octane market are: 1) The retail value of octane is up 5-fold from historical levels 2) Octane destruction in FCC gasoline desulfurizers is up 5-fold since 2020 3) the price of gasoline sulfur credits is up 10-fold since 2022 The main cause is the Tier 3 gasoline sulfur standard which requires a maximum of 10 ppm sulfur as an annual average in gasoline sold in the U.S. Many U.S. refineries are unable to desulfurize gasoline down to 10 ppm without also downgrading the octane of their gasoline pool. This has caused a major new octane-sulfur bottleneck in U.S. gasoline production. This presentation will include case stories where refineries have successfully adapted operations to relieve the Tier 3 octane-sulfur bottleneck.