Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.energy From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: energy Fri, Jun 19 1992 Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 05:24:16 EDT Message-ID: 06-19 0000 DECISIONLINE: Energy USA TODAY Update June 19-21, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network GASOLINE MAY SOON COME IN COLOR: Motorists may soon have the choice of red, white or blue gasoline. Federal highway officials and Congress are considering dyeing gasoline to prevent unscrupulous stations owners from fraudulently selling regular gas as premium. A Bethesda, Md., firm won a $250,000 federal contract last month to study the idea and is expected to deliver its findings to Congress by December. (For more, see special Dyeing package below.) TRADERS AWAIT NEWS ON IRAQ: Oil prices finished lower Thursday as traders awaited the outcome of Iraq's latest effort to resume petroleum sales. Light sweet crude oil for delivery in July settled at $22.26 per barrel, down 3 cents, at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Traders waited for the next talks between Iraq and the United Nations about resuming Iraqi crude sales, perhaps as soon as Friday. REFINED PRODUCTS LITTLE CHANGED: Refined petroleum prices were little changed Thursday at the Mercantile Exchange. Unleaded gasoline for delivery in July settled at 65.21 cents a gallon, down .38 cent. Home heating oil for delivery in July settled at 61.21 cents a gallon, up .22 cent. Natural gas prices fell Thursday, with contracts for delivery in July settling at $1.591 per 1,000 cubic feet, down 1.4 cents. JOHNSTON ASSURES GAS STATES: Senate Energy Committee Chairman J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., vowed Thursday that the energy bill taking shape in Congress will not restrict states' ability to control natural gas production within their borders. Johnston said a provision in a House-passed version of the bill that prohibits gas-producing states from limiting output, won't survive negotiations with the Senate bill. ARGUMENTS TO BE HEARD: A federal judge in Denver hears arguments Friday in a suit to determine who owns minerals produced from coal beds under the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The judge in April approved class-action status for the defendants, who include Amoco Production Co., 19 other oil firms and 20,000 private mineral owners. TRADE GAP WIDENS IN APRIL: The trade deficit widened in April to its worst showing since November 1990 as exports slipped further and oil imports jumped, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The $6.97 billion April trade gap was 24.8% higher than a March deficit of $5.58 billion, reflecting the fact that oil imports surged by 16% while U.S. exports declined for a second straight month. COMPUTER FIRMS JOIN EPA PROGRAM: Beginning next year, new personal computers equipped with an energy saving feature that kicks in when the PC is not in use will be marked with an Energy Star logo. The feature is the key to the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Computer program, which Wednesday signed up Apple, Compaq, Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NCR, Smith Corona Corp. and Zenith Data Systems. PROGRAM TO SAVE $1B BY 2000: Personal computers use about 100 watts, but in a resting mode need just 30 watts. Many are used just a fifth of the day but are left on around the clock to minimize wear. By 2000, EPA figures Energy Star savings will reach 25 billion kilowatts and $1 billion a year. That would prevent emission of 20 million tons of carbon dioxide from power plants - equal to 5 million cars. SUNCOR STOPS PLANT'S PRODUCTION: Suncor Inc. said it will delay production at its oil sands plant in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The plant will be down a week before its gas oil hydrotreater returns to service. The plant has been operating at reduced levels of synthetic crude production after a fire on April 3 resulted in $17 million in damage to the unit. Inspections indicated more work was required prior to startup. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON DYEING: MISLABLING COSTS CONSUMERS: Consumers spend millions of dollars in fuel system repairs, and federal and state governments lose an estimated $1 billion in taxes annually because of the rampant mislabeling of gasoline and diesel fuel, according to the General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of Congress. As much as half the gasoline sold in New Jersey is mislabeled, GAO officials said. OTHER NATIONS COLOR FUEL: David Booth, vice president of Morton International, a Chicago-based chemical firm, is pushing the colored gas idea in Congress. His firm markets a dye used by gasoline companies. About 38 foreign countries, including Canada, require auto fuel to be dyed according to octane rating. Since World War II, the military has required colored aviation fuel to prevent accidents. COLORS TO BE RED AND BLUE: Booth's proposal calls for coloring 87-octane fuel blue, 89 octane red, and leaving 92 octane colorless. Federal officials believe dyeing also will prevent diesel fuel fraud. Home heating oil, which is not taxed, is identical to diesel fuel, which is taxed. Jim Stigger, a spokesman for the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Assoc., said he doubts dye will harm an automobile's performance. (End of package.) Energy Editor: William Snoddy. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. 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