Propane: The Hidden History

You heard it here first in 2011: that as soon as HD5 propane was introduced into the national (ASTM 1835) standard for propane, commercial grade propane became the euphemism for slop. In 2010, the GAO reported that half of the propane was produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and half was produced as a by-product of oil refining. The GAO reported the facts, without the history. The history tells us that where once the dominant source of propane was natural gas processing, by 1975, when "Special Duty" propane, "equivalent to HD5 propane" described in GPA Standard 2140, was introduced, the sources of propane, and with the source of propane, the quality of propane, shifted. In 1961, almost all the propane in America was produced by natural gas processing, which meant that almost all of it was HD5, since the propane so produced had to conform to GPA 2140, the standard of the Gas Processors Association, which had been in effect since 1932.

In 1961, what was to become "commercial grade" propane, used by most homes in four "dump-ground" states and wherever else the Texans and Canadian refiners could market it, was simply flared off as waste. It smelt terrible and watered people's eyes because it was loaded with sulfur. By 1970, the detrimental effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2) were demonstrated, particularly its ill-effects on trees in the Northeast, and the federal government began to impose regulations that required that smoke stacks be scrubbed of the SO2, so-called "desulphurization." The unintended consequence of this regulation was that by 1975 oil refiners began to see profits two ways in capturing benzene, toluene and Agent Orange and selling it as propane. First, since these odds and ends were hydrocarbons that could hold a flame, they could be sold as "commercial grade" propane, because all the ASTM standard required for "commercial grade" propane was that it be hydrocarbon gas and hold a flame. Second, the oil refiners saved millions a year because they did not have to dispose of the odds and ends as hazardous waste, since they were beginning to sell it as propane to home owners. The oil refiners also began to make further millions by supplying the sulfur they captured as fertilizer. As waste product suddenly emerged as a champion money-maker, production of counterfeit "commercial grade" propane climbed until, as the GAO said last year, half the propane was produced in natural gas processing (real olefin-free HD5) and half was counterfeit propane, consisted of desulphurized odds and ends, including benzene, toluene, butylenes, and Agent Orange, all poisons produced as waste products of high-heat oil refining.

Next week we will tell you how you can save money through the winter this year with our exclusive "tier jumping" offer, where you enjoy discounts just by purchasing a little more, and keeping what you don't use on account. This is a winter-only offer, to help you manage your fuel costs and squirrel away some extra fuel for the future.  

 Call Thrifty at 855-269-9623 for a personal quote, or see us on the web for your county's price at www.thriftypropane.com today!

                   

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