Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Negative priced crude oil. Time to build a home refinery? :)

Keras - 20-4-2020 at 12:06

I wonder if that unprecedented nosedive in crude prices will have a knock-on effect on oil derivatives such as phenol and other aromatics products…

Dr.Bob - 20-4-2020 at 15:37

I want to get a crude oil operated electric generator. And a really big oil tank...

draculic acid69 - 20-4-2020 at 16:22

Doesn't crude burn terribly?

RogueRose - 20-4-2020 at 20:02

Look into the old M35 2 1/2 ton trucks with the multi fuel engine. IIRC, they can burn crude as their main fuel, as well as just about any other liquid in the world.

SWIM - 20-4-2020 at 20:23

There's always the old crude oil engine.
Later known as the semi-diesel, it's some strange 2-stroke engine that runs at like 200-400 RPM and has no electrical system whatsoever.

They're started by compressed air and the glow plugs were heated with a blowtorch before starting.

They're very heavy for the horsepower, but last pretty much forever.

I think they were used in some early Monterey trawlers.

They were said to run on just about anything, including melted lard.

https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/images/51/851/med...

[Edited on 21-4-2020 by SWIM]

Wow, they blow smoke rings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVOgWrhM67A

Screw electronic fuel injection and compound turbochargers.

I WANT SMOKE RINGS.

[Edited on 21-4-2020 by SWIM]

[Edited on 21-4-2020 by SWIM]

Dr.Bob - 21-4-2020 at 17:55

Why is it that oil is almost free, but yet gas prices here are still way up there. I get that taxes are about $0.50 per gallon, but there is almost a $0.50 spread between stations around here. If I could buy a 100 gallons and store it in drums, it might be worth it. I understand that gas is below a $1.00 in some places, except Cal, where it is still above $3 I think.

j_sum1 - 21-4-2020 at 18:06

Quote: Originally posted by Dr.Bob  
Why is it that oil is almost free, but yet gas prices here are still way up there. I get that taxes are about $0.50 per gallon, but there is almost a $0.50 spread between stations around here. If I could buy a 100 gallons and store it in drums, it might be worth it. I understand that gas is below a $1.00 in some places, except Cal, where it is still above $3 I think.

That's nothing. Quoting aussiebucks per litre...
I heard a report from Brisbane yesterday that gas prices varied wildly across the same suburb. Like, $0.769 per litre to $1.635 per litre.

The problem is that everyone has a full car tank and no one is going anywhere. It is mostly of novelty value to see these low prices quoted -- at least from the consumer perspective. No doubt the price will hike considerably as soon as demand ramps up again.

There is talk of the government stockpiling and filling every available tank while the prices are low. And also renting tank space in the US for the same purpose.

draculic acid69 - 21-4-2020 at 20:34

Now's the time to do it.