GASOLINE OXYGENATES: LUST SITE GROUNDWATER DETECTIONS IN STATES NOT REQUIRING OXYGENATE USE

Several states have collected groundwater samples from LUST sites to attempt to characterize the detection of oxygenates (frequency and distribution) in groundwater impacts, particularly at LUST and near-by drinking water well locations. Additional states also have also investigated petroleum product data obtained from regional distribution hubs and transportation methods to better understand the oxygenate composition that is detected within their states. Some states do not require the use or distribution of reformulated gasoline, but have detected virtually all of the gasoline oxygenates most commonly used by refiners and gasoline distributors.

Data for 2001 indicated that approximately 19.5 million barrels (819 million gallons) per day of petroleum products were consumed in the U.S. (Allegro, 2001). Approximately two-thirds of the petroleum shipped in the U.S. travels via oil pipelines. The balance of the distribution methods includes barge trucking, railroad, and waterborne shipments.

Inter-regional flows of crude and refined petroleum are built upon a national infrastructure of pipelines designed to move oil and refined products from the producing regions to the consuming regions. Five regions, referred to as “Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts” (PADDs), were delineated during World War II. The logistical hubs of the PADDs serve as gateways for regional supplies of petroleum products. A common practice in the pipeline industry is to ship different petroleum products or grades of the same product in sequence through a pipeline, with each product or “batch” distinct from the preceding or following (Allegro, 2001).

This talk will present the connection between the pipeline PADDs, their respective shipping end-points and oxygenate needs, and the observed detections of gasoline oxygenates in groundwater from spills or releases of retail marketed petroleum products.