Gasoline marketing: Octane mislabeling in New York City

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5038423

The problem of octane mislabeling at gasoline stations in New York City has grown - from 46 or fewer citations in 1981 to 171 citations in 1986. No single source of octane mislabeling exists but the city has found both gasoline station operators and fuel distributors to blame. The problem does not seem to be unique to any one type of gasoline station but 57 percent of the 171 citations issued involved gasoline sold under the name of a major refiner; the rest involved unbranded gasoline. Octane cheating can be lucrative in New York City. A station intentionally mislabeling its gasoline could realize amounts many times the city's maximum $500 fine for cheating.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5038423
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-87-180BR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GASOLINE
ANTIKNOCK RATINGS
MARKETING
GASOLINE SERVICE STATIONS
FRAUD
LEGAL ASPECTS
NEW YORK CITY
COMMERCIAL SECTOR
CRIME
FEDERAL REGION II
FUELS
LIQUID FUELS
MARKETERS
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RETAILERS
USA
020700* - Petroleum- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
294002 - Energy Planning & Policy- Petroleum
290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology