Star Oilco

Golden diesel fuel swirling in abstract motion
Star Oilco Diesel Fuel Quality Assurance 1024 574 Star Oilco

Star Oilco Diesel Fuel Quality Assurance

                                 Star Oilco Diesel Fuel Quality Assurance

 

Diesel Fuel Tank Cleaner

 

  • Diesel Fuel Is Often A Company’s Largest Expense. Unfortunately, there is very little control over its quality.
  • Fuel Quality Has Declined over the last 25 years…
  • Engine manufacturers have tightened the tolerances for fuel
  • Newer tier 4 engines starting from 2008 need cleaner fuel

 

“Over the last two decades, the cetane number and the API gravity, the basic measures of crude oil quality have declined.”

—Society of Automotive Engineers, (SAE) Bulletin 872243

 

Cetane number is actually a measure of a fuel’s ignition delay. This is the time period between the start of injection and start of combustion (ignition) of the fuel. In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periods than lower cetane fuels.

What is a typical API gravity for diesel fuel? The classic book “Petroleum Refinery Engineering” by W.L. Nelson (4th ed., McGraw-Hill, 1958) gives numbers ranging from about 25 to 40 (with “Grade 1-D” around 40 and “Grade 2-D” around 35). In a Web search using the keywords “diesel” and “API gravity” I found a couple of sites with specs for #2 diesel fuel; these had minimum values of 26 and 30 API gravity. So a reasonable guess would be that typical #2 diesel fuel would have an API gravity of about 35; I’ll let you plug that into the above formula to get the specific gravity.

The densities of petroleum products are traditionally (especially in the U.S.) expressed as “API Gravity” The API Gravity is related to the specific gravity by the equation: API = (141.5/SPGR) – 131.5, where the specific gravity is the density relative to that of water and everything is measured at a temperature of 60 degrees F.

MadSci Network © 1997, Washington University Medical School

“Diesel fuel quality has deteriorated for the past 20 years and is expected to continue this trend for the foreseeable future.”

American Society for Testing and Materials, (ASTM) Pub. # 10056

 

COMMON PROBLEMS WITH 21st CENTURY DIESEL FUEL IN THE PACIFIC NW

Fuel Quality Deterioration

industrial-townProblem 1

 

Problem 2

 

Problem 3

Problem 6a

 

 

Problem 4

 

Problem 4a

 

 

Problem 5

Problem 3b

Problem 6

The odds are stacked against the fleet owners

what can be done to help alleviate or control the problems?

you have questions, we have the solutions, call us to find out.

 CAll Today

If you have bulk fuel storage, the first step is testing your tank bottom and what is coming out of the nozzle.  Star Oilco can do a complementary ASTM and ISO specification analysis of your diesel fuel.  If you are seeing recurring fuel system issue, the first step is to make sure your bulk storage isn’t the problem. We can help.

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Aerial view of Portland, Oregon at sunset with Mount Hood in the background
Oregon-Made Biodiesel 1024 819 Star Oilco

Oregon-Made Biodiesel

     Low CO2 Biodiesel Made from Waste Vegetable Oil in Salem, Oregon.

B20 Biodiesel A PROVEN FUEL

            Star Oilco is a proud seller of locally sourced biodiesel products.

We believe in biodiesel and run B20 in our own fleet. Star Oilco has been a pioneer in successful fleet demonstration of B20 and blends up to B99 in a host of applications for over a decade. There is no lower cost way to reduce your CO2 emissions than by substituting petroleum diesel with a recycled vegetable oil feedstock biodiesel blend. It is a drop in solution that requires awareness in your fleet maintenance concern — but beyond that is a very low barrier to use.

       We have worked with our vendor for recycled oil biodiesel, SeQuential Biofuels, since 2004.

SeQue Biofuels collects feed stocks collected from deep fryers and food processors throughout the Pacific Northwest to make the lowest CO2 biodiesel fuel in Oregon. If you are seeking to reduce your carbon footprint, biodiesel is your drop in solution. Ready and approved by every manufacturer for on- and off-road vehicles at a 20% biodiesel blend.

                                           How can we help you move forward?  

We are here to help you be successful with biodiesel, even if you are not our customer. Let us know if you have questions or if we can be of help.

Simply call us at 503-283-1256 or contact us using the form below.

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Ripple effect in a pool of yellow biodiesel oil representing renewable energy feedstocks
BioDiesel Feedstocks – Castor Oil and Amp – Choice White Grease 1024 721 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Castor Oil and Amp – Choice White Grease

Biodiesel Feedstocks – Castor Oil and amp – Choice White Grease

In this post we continue our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This week’s two feedstocks are Castor Oil and Choice White Grease. For more information and more feedstocks this is the main page of the feedstocks we have examined so far.

Castor Oil

Castor oil comes from Ricinus communis, known commonly as the castor bean plant. While the castor bean is not a real bean, it is called this due to the shape of the seeds.  These seeds consist of about 45-50% oil. Ricinus communis known commonly as Castor Bean plantRicinus communis is a fast-growing shrub type plant that can reach the size of a small tree. This perennial flowering plant is native to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but grows easily throughout tropical regions. It is not a cold hardy plant, although in a suitable environment it can become invasive.  Castor bean plants are grown as ornamental plants throughout the world and are used extensively as a decorative plant in parks and public areas. The castor bean plan will grow rapidly in a single season, about 6-10’ tall. Ornamentally, it is most valued for its huge, palmately (having four or more lobes or leaflets radiating from a single point) 5-11 pointed lobes, toothed, glossy green leaves (each to 1-3’ across) and round, spikey, reddish-brown seed capsules. Small cup-shaped, greenish-yellow apetalous (lacking flower petals) spikes which are not particularly showy. Different cultivations of the plant result in dwarf and large plants, some with attractive reddish, bronze or purple leaves and bright and colorful flowers. Castor Beans contain about 45-50% oil

An additional benefit of this source of oil is that it doesn’t impact the food supply. The entire plant is poisonous but has some reported medicinal uses. Other uses of the plant include being used as an insecticide against some ticks and food for silkworms. Castor oil has been used as a lubricant in engines for years, because of the high heat resistance it has historically been used in two-stroke engines.

 

Castor Oil and Bio-diesel sampleCastor Oil biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

Choice White Grease

The US Department of Agriculture defines Choice White Grease (CWG) as “A specific grade of mostly pork fat defined by hardness, color, fatty acid content, moisture, insoluble’s, unsaponifiable’s and free fatty acids.”

CWG is similar to beef tallow that we discussed in a previous week. It is an animal by-product, meaning that they are only produced in relation of raising the animal for meat or food production. As we can see from the picture it is a saturated fat and is at least partially solid at room temperature. This means that the resulting B100 biodiesel will have a higher cloud point.  CWG has historically been used as livestock feed. Additionally, using CWG for biodiesel gives pork producers an additional revenue and outlet for the product, helping elevate the return on investment for these farmers.

Choice White Grease and Bio-diesel sampleChoice White Grease biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

 

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Algae Oil and Canola Oil.

Ripple effect in a pool of yellow biodiesel oil representing renewable energy feedstocks
Biodiesel Feedstocks – Poultry Fat And Rice Bran Oil 1024 721 Star Oilco

Biodiesel Feedstocks – Poultry Fat And Rice Bran Oil

                    Biodiesel Feedstocks – Poultry Fat and Rice Bran Oil

Looking further into biodiesel feedstock we continue with Poultry Fat and Rice Bran Oil in our deeper dive into the feedstocks that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. If you would like to see more, you can read more here about the feedstocks we have examined in the past.

Poultry Fat

Rendering is the process of turning the left over animal products into fat or tallow. After the common parts of the animal are harvested the remaining parts are ground up and cooked. The oil and fat is then separated from the protein solids. Poultry fat, commonly made from chicken, Poultry Fat a possible source of bio-dieselis different from other forms of fat and tallow.  It tends to have less saturated fat. According to Farm Energy:

“Beef tallow and pork lard are typically about 40% saturated (sum of myristic, palmitic and stearic acids). Chicken fat is lower at about 30-33%. For comparison, soybean oil is about 14% saturated and canola oil is only 6%. Thus, tallow and lard are usually solid at room temperature and chicken fat, while usually still liquid, is very viscous and nearly solid.”

The high content of saturated fat can be a draw back for biodiesel produced from animal products. Beef Tallow in this study produced B100 (100% biodiesel) with a cloud point of 16° C or 60.8° F.  The Poultry Fat B100 in this study had a cloud point of 6.1° C or 42.98° F, in comparison Soybean Oil B100 in the same study was 0.9° C or 33.62° F.

One of the benefits of using animal fats for biodiesel is a higher Cetane number. (Source) “cetane number is a measurement of the quality or performance of diesel fuel. The higher the number, the better the fuel burns within the engine of a vehicle.”  Petroleum based fuels have a cetane number between 40 -44, soybean-based biodiesel is between 48 – 52 and animal fat-based biodiesel can have values over 60. (Source)

Poultry Fat Feedstock and Bio-DieselPoultry Fat Certificate of Analysis

 

Rice Bran Oil

Rice bran oil is a vegetable oil which is greatly available in East Asia countries. It is a byproduct of rice processing, containing about 15-23% oil.  The Rice Bran Oil that was used in this study was refined, bleached, deodorized, winterized (RBDW).

Rice bran oil is similar in make-up to peanut oil made up of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids.

While the Oil is this study was considered non-edible, when processed in other ways the oil can be used in cooking and is popular for Asian countries such as Bangladesh, China, India and Japan.

Rice Bran Oil - Feedstock and Bio-DieselRice Bran Oil Certificate of Analysis

 

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was – Palm Oil & Perilla Seed Oil

Ripple effect in a pool of yellow biodiesel oil representing renewable energy feedstocks
BioDiesel Feedstocks – Algae Oil & Canola Oil 1024 721 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Algae Oil & Canola Oil

Biodiesel Feedstocks – Algae Oil and Canola Oil

 

This post’s two oils are Algal Oil and Canola Oil.  If you would like to look ahead at some of the other feedstocks that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied, or if you would like to look a little more in-depth at the comparisons here is the link to the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report.   This is the main page of feedstocks we have looked at so far, and last week’s look at Borage Oil & Camelina Oil is here.  B20 Biodiesel (B20 stands for 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) is the drop in solution for reduced emissions in today’s modern diesel engines.  To understand what some of the alternate feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel, we are examining a report that Renewable Energy Group (REG) produced in 2009. All certificates of analysis and results are for B100.

Algae Oil

Algae Oil has a huge potential to be the next source of Biofuel feedstock. Among the many benefits is that algae can be grown in any environment that can contain water, and algae doesn’t carry the negative stigma of using a potential source of food to create a fuel.  In addition, you could use algae to clean up wastewater and then use the fats to create the biodiesel. A recent study here is working on that concept. The U.S. Department of Energy has recently invested $2 million dollars into University of Michigan for research into algae as a diesel fuel. (see story here) The goal is to find high yield algae that produce a high-grade bio crude for renewable diesel or biodiesel. Here is the YouTube video about the research.

The two diverse samples of crude algal oil, that were used in the report from 2009, were obtained from Solazyme, Inc.  This Company works with algae to produce renewable oils and ingredients for industries. The report doesn’t go into what kinds of algae was used or the process that they used to convert the algae to oil.

Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis for Algae Oil 1Bio-diesel Certificate of Analysis for Algae Oil 2

 

Canola Oil

Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napus or Brassica campestris.Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napus Brassica Napus is also known as rape or rapeseed.  The name rape is derived from the Latin word for turnip, rapum.  Brassicaceae is the family of which mustard, cauliflower and cabbage belong.  The name Canola comes from the contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil.  Developed in 1970s by researchers from the University of Manitoba and Agri-Food Canada, the use of the term Canola means that the oilseed meets certain standards.  The Official Definition of Canola is:

“Seeds of the genus Brassica (Brassica napus, Brassica rapa or Brassica juncea) from which the oil shall contain less than 2% erucic acid in its fatty acid profile and the solid component shall contain less than 30 micromoles of any one or any mixture of 3-butenyl glucosinolate, 4-pentenyl glucosinolate, 2-hydroxy-3 butenyl glucosinolate, and 2-hydroxy- 4-pentenyl glucosinolate per gram of air-dry, oil-free solid.”

Government regulation requires Canola oil to to be limited to a maximum of 2% erucic acid these particular samples contains less than two percent erucic acid and the solid component contains less than 30 micromoles per gram of glucosinolates.

According to Reuters, “Rapeseed is the most produced oilseed in the EU.” This trend is gradually shifting to soya beans this article continues to explain. Currently 60 percent of the vegetable oil used in biodiesel comes from rapeseed oil in the EU.

Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napusCertificate of Analysis from REG for Canola Oil based Bio-diesel

 

 

Mobile app showing Pacific Pride fleet fueling data and location alerts
Get an email every time your fleet stops for fuel 1024 541 Star Oilco

Get an email every time your fleet stops for fuel

                 

Get an Email every time your driver fuels up

–Driver management tools built into a fleet card.

-Fleet card services mean more than just a bill, it is knowing who buys what, when, and where in real time.

-Make sure your Dispatcher on duty gets an email every time fuel is bought in real time.

-Know in real time what your fleet is buying and doing to get ahead of bad decisions.

 

Driver efficiency can drain your profits.  Drivers making the wrong decision about where to buy fuel is also a trainable experience.  Add to that the bad actors who might palm a fleet card.

We give you actionable data in real time as the driver makes a decision.

At those rare moments when thieves creep into your business, we also make sure you see it as it occurs.  This means you can save yourself thousands of dollars in theft before it happens.  Fuel theft usually occurs on the way to work or when bars close.  We make sure you are getting notified at every fuel purchase so you can see the out of place fuel purchase.

Our Pacific Pride cards tie a suite of tools into our E-Receipt tool making sure your team knows who is doing what with your fuel cards.  We also have added tools, if you want them, to turn the cards off by hour of day, days of the week, and by states/zip code protections.  We secure your business from those risks so you can protect yourself from surprises.


Star Oilco is an Independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride.Know who, what vehicle, what fuel, at what location in real time – to manage your fleet in real time.

Knock out fuel theft by knowing what is happening when it happens.

-E-Receipts are a simple tool that allow you total knowledge and control of your fleet’s fueling.

Managing a fleet is an orchestra of well organized chaos.  Your driver’s decision making, unforgiving customer needs, the randomness of traffic all merge into the daily life of a fleet.  Star Oilco can provide you a very simple tool to help you seize control of where, when and who makes fuel purchasing decisions.  The Star Oilco Pacific Pride card can provide an email notification every time fuel is bought notifying your team so that your fuel policy can be managed in real time.

Control the fuels they can buy, the zip codes they can buy fuel in, limit the quantity of fuel, windows of time to buy fuel (so after hours a borrowed card cannot be use), and get an email after someone gets fuel. Manage your driver’s habits as things happen.

Email notification of who, where, and what fuel was purchased after it occurs.

Many fleets have policies of when and where to fuel.  Avoiding high cost retail pumps, the nearly $.50 fuel higher tax difference for an Oregon fleet buying in Washington state, or if you use wet-hose mobile fueling to save labor and depend on a gallon quantity for a discounted price.  A driver not following your policies is very expensive.

With Pacific Pride’s e-receipt at time of transaction you will have instant confirmation, not month end audits.

Regardless of coaching and communicating often drivers have a habit of departing from even the best managed fleet’s policies.  Knowing the moment this happens can make all the difference.  It also has an added benefit of keeping people from even contemplating fuel theft as the transaction and who the offender is will be immediately noted.

Imagine it.  Your driver stops out of route for fuel, shortly after a text from dispatch asks why?   As you discuss the fuel stop with the wayward driver, they will forever and always think twice before stopping out of route again.

Know who stopped for fuel in real time. 

Get started below.

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Fuel bill audit best practices

Read more on how a Fuel Audit can help your business control fuel costs and demystify what and how you are buying fuel.  Find out what’s in a Star Oilco “Keep it Simple” Fuel Audit.

For a strategy on using Fleet Cards as a human resource management tool to stop fuel theft in your business see the Star Oilco white paper on Stopping Fuel Theft in your Business.

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Fuel Market Report: Nov 2nd – Nov 8th, 2025 1024 683 Star Oilco

Fuel Market Report: Nov 2nd – Nov 8th, 2025
fuel-market-report-star-oilco

Did You Know That R99 Is The Same Cost As Diesel Currently?

Call to set up R99 Mobile Fueling Onsite Service in Portland at the same cost of retail diesel. Dyed untaxed R99 is also available. Give us a call today to schedule your delivery.

Wholesale Price Average 11/8/25

Wholesale LowWholesale Avg
E10$2.21$2.33
B5$2.71$2.71
B20$2.72$2.77
R99$2.43$2.49

Average Retail Prices 11/8/25

NationalOregonWashington
E10$3.07$3.82$4.22
B5$3.74$4.33$4.94

Taxes

FederalState: ORLocalState: WA
Gas$0.184$0.40$0-.13$0.494
Diesel$0.244$0.40$0-.13$0.494

Portland Retail Fuel Price Variance

Fuel Market News

Fuel prices dropped across the board this week, with gas and diesel prices down. It was the first week in 2 months where wholesale prices dropped while retail prices increased. Wholesale rack averages dropped $0.03/gal for E10 gasoline, and over $0.15/gal for B5 & B20 diesel. The government shutdown has seemingly come to an end with a vote from the Senate last night to continue funding and operating the government. This has calmed many worries within the market as the shutdown was the longest recorded in history.  With the government back in session, we may see prices continue to fall as fears of a continued shutdown are fading within the market. Crude Oil prices are hovering just about $60/barrel for WITI crude, as prices have risen slightly over the last two weeks.

fuel-market-report-star-oilco-5-18-24

Important Note: Per the City Of Portland, “Distributors in the City of Portland are required to meet the minimum biofuel content requirements for all fuel they distribute beginning on May 15, 2024. All diesel fuel distributed to retail stations, non-retail dealers, or wholesale purchaser-consumers must include a minimum of 15% biofuel content, from either renewable diesel or biodiesel. This requirement increases to 50% on May 15, 2026, and 99% on May 15, 2030”.

Want to know what to expect this Fall in regards to our diesel market? You can read our 2025 Diesel Market Outlook For Oregon.

Learn More

Reasons For Price Variance

Oil Prices Below $65

Winter Blend Of Fuel Back To Market

New Sanctions On Russian Oil

Crude oil is trading just below $61, at a current price of $60.69/barrel. This is $0.43/barrel higher than it was last week.

Crude oil is the main ingredient for gasoline and diesel. Per AAA, on average about 50% of what you pay at the pump is the price of crude oil, breaking down as 25% refining, 11% distribution & marketing, and 14% taxes – a helpful breakdown for consumers wondering why they are paying the prices that they pay. Crude Oil is currently trading at $60.69/barrel compared to $60.26/barrel last week and $66 a year ago.

It’s essential to recognize that fuel prices result from a complex interplay of the factors mentioned above and other regional factors. Additionally, prices may vary by specific regions within Oregon and Washington. For the most precise and up-to-date information on fuel prices and the causes for these price changes within your area, use the links below for AAA & GasBuddy.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Star Oilco and speak to one of our fuel market advisors to discuss how the market can impact your business.

Set up your R99 Mobile Fueling Onsite Service in Portland Today Including Dyed Untaxed R99.

Give Us A Call Today

For other news in the fuel market:

● https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=OR

● https://www.gasbuddy.com/charts

Join the Fuel Market Report newsletter for your weekly fill of updates!

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Tablet screen displaying Pacific Pride Commercial Fueling System logo
Top 4 Reasons Hotels Should Use Pacific Pride 1024 688 Star Oilco

Top 4 Reasons Hotels Should Use Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Fuel Cards for Airport, Hotel, or Travel Shuttle Companies

Fuel for shuttle vans through Pacific Pride

ending with fuel card management, emailed receipts, transparency, and accountability for your hotel or travel shuttle bus drivers.

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Fuel cards for Shuttle Drivers

Running a shuttle service for a hotel for any reason can have a lot of moving parts:

  • Hiring
  • Training Drivers
  • Scheduling Shifts
  • Keeping the Vehicles Full of Fuel
  • Ensuring a Consistent Time Table

Let Star Oilco track and control the fueling for you. We can save you money and significantly reduce your risk of fuel theft while getting your drivers out of lines at a retail gas station. In addition, our locations are open even on holidays or late at night.

Shuttles going to and from the airports can be on tight schedules and  don’t have a lot of time to fuel. Meeting your guests’ needs means you can’t have your drivers in lines for a long time. Stand-alone commercial-only Pacific Pride and CFN sites in the northwest are a real resource for your business. Many stations are located near airports. They speed up the labor associated with fueling and significantly lock down the chance for fraud or theft when using your fuel card. Stand-alone sites limit access to convenience store items so employees won’t be tempted to spend time browsing and make purchases on the company credit card.

With Pacific Pride and CFN stand-alone commercial cardlock sites, there are other benefits beyond just the convenience. The biggest difference is that these commercial cardlock sites are built with security in mind. Retail stations are engineered to sell as many products as possible to those pulling up for gasoline. Commercial cardlock sites are designed for commercial users who seek the fastest fueling experience. That is a major contrast between the two.

Top 4 Reason Hotels Should Use Fuel Cards

Top 4 Reason Hotels should use Pacific Pride Fuel Cards

Reason #1 – Better Tracking and Management

With a myriad of responsibilities required of those who run hotels or shuttles, simple methods to control when, where, and what is purchased any time during the day can save time and money. Controls keep fuel purchases in line and by only those with authorization.

WHEN: If the drivers only need access to fuel during specific shifts you can set the cards to work only during these times.

WHERE: Drivers can be limited to specific locations such as only Pacific Prides, or if more flexibility is needed, they can be authorized to use any of the 57,000 extended network locations. Pacific Pride locations are also open 24/7 and open even on the holidays.

WHAT: Drivers can be limited to specific types of fuel. If the van takes diesel you can set the card to only have access to diesel. These simple strategies can eliminate many of the issues that can arise when fueling.

Talk to a Card Lock expert at Star Oilco to find out more. 

 

Reason #2 – No More Paper Receipts 

Tracking and reviewing receipts takes up a lot of time. Pacific Pride fuel cards can be set up to automatically email every time a fueling occurs. Using a fuel card eliminates the need to continuously organize and track expense receipts from drivers. No more going through each and every receipt to see what and how much was purchased. Fuel can be set up to see which vehicle was fueled, who fueled it and when it was fueled. These transactions are easily organized with entered mileage and fuel costs in the bills that are issued twice a month. This alone can save hours of labor for accountants and controllers as they audit the bills.

Reason #3 – Stop Fuel Theft

By using a fuel card, a hotel insures the security of their shuttles and prevents theft by its drivers. This instills peace of mind, as managers know their drivers cannot use a fuel card for personal usage. Fuel cards can be assigned to vehicles and each driver has their own individual PIN#. With a quick email or phone call, card access can easily be granted or blocked as drivers leave or new ones are added.

Reason #4 – Transparency and Accountability

Star Oilco has created a template agreement for drivers to sign as they are assigned identification numbers for the cards. This form helps the driver understand that they are responsible for any unauthorized purchases with their DIN (Driver Identification Number). Setting up emails that are sent in real time can be done so that any unauthorized use can immediately be investigated.

Need to lock down your gas card from fuel theft?

Call Star Oilco, we make it simple.

Our motto is “Keep it Simple” and we make this easy. Feel free to reach out and see what Star Oilco can do for your fleet to upgrade its fleet fueling security.

What do you need to get a fuel card in Oregon?

All you need in order to access Pacific Pride sites in Oregon is a business license and proof that you use over 900 gallons of total fuel a year. CFN commercial cardlock sites have the same requirements. If you are a business using a commercial quantity of fuel, you qualify to self-serve gasoline and you can stop paying your employees to shop at the most expensive retail gas stations with the best mini-mart selection. Instead, get them back on the road 24-7 and usually without a line to wait in.

What do you need for fueling cards in Washington or any other state?

If you drive into Oregon and want to use gasoline, you still need the same requirements as stated above. If you don’t need access to Oregon gas stations, it is much easier to get a fuel card.

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

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Ripple effect in a pool of yellow biodiesel oil representing renewable energy feedstocks
Biodiesel Feedstocks – Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil 1024 721 Star Oilco

Biodiesel Feedstocks – Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil

                         

                          Biodiesel Feedstocks – Lesquerella Oil and Linseed Oil

Lesquerella fendleri Oil

Lesquerella fendleri, also known as Physaria fendleri, is part of the mustard family. (Lesquerella) Physaria Fendleri part of the mustard familyThe common names of this plant are popweed and Fendler’s bladderpod. This silvery-gray perennial has four-petaled yellow flowers that grow on a plant that is about 1 to 16 inches tall. Found in plains and mesas in the southwestern United States, it requires low water usage and is one of the first of the flowering wildflowers in the spring (Source).

Lesquerella produces hairless capsules called siliques which contain 6 to 25 seeds. These seeds contain 20-28% oil with around 62% lesquerolic acid. Lesquerella oil is a source of hydroxyl unsaturated fatty acids, and is useful as a replacement for castor oil in some applications.

While there are benefits from using this seed oil, the dark reddish-brown color of the oil is a potential limiting factor. Potential selective breeding and domestication of the plant may solve this issue, but there haven’t been much momentum at this time. That being said, there have been some studies about growing this plant for its oil and the natural gum in its seed coat for commercial use.

Lesquerella Oil and Lesquerella BiodieselLesquerella BioDiesel Certificate of Analysis

Linseed Oil

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) is also known as flax in North America. The plant is an annual and can grow in large range of climates. Linseed Oil and SeedsFor example, it grows in Argentina, India, and Canada. Linseed oil has been traditionally used as a drying oil. According to REG report, these seeds contains 37-42% oil. The crude oil contains 0.25% phosphatides, a small amount of crystalline wax, and a water-soluble resinous matter with antioxidant properties.

As one the earliest cultivated field crops in the US, it has found many uses for its oils. Linseed oil can be used as a varnish, pigment binder or to manufacture linoleum. These applications have seen reductions in use due to synthetic options that resist yellowing. Other uses for this plant are as nutritional supplements and foods, although raw linseed oil can become rancid unless refrigerated.  After the oil has been pressed out of the seeds, the leftover residue makes great animal food.

As some of the traditional uses of the plant are replaced with other options, use of this crop for a feedstock in biodiesel is an option.

Linseed Oil and Linseed biodiesel

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil.

We’re continuing our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This posts two feedstocks are Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil.  Here is a link to the main page of feedstocks we have examined so far.

Ripple effect in a pool of yellow biodiesel oil representing renewable energy feedstocks
Biodiesel Feedstocks – Moringa Oil & Neem Oil 1024 721 Star Oilco

Biodiesel Feedstocks – Moringa Oil & Neem Oil

                              Biodiesel Feedstocks – Moringa Oil and Neem Oil

Moringa oleifera Oil

Moringa oleifera is a tree with the common names moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree and ben oil tree.The tree and seedpods of Moringa oleifera in Dakawa, Morogoro, Tanzania. This tree ranges in height from 15 to 30 feet tall, and is native to India, Africa, Arabia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Caribbean islands, South America, and the Philippines. This deciduous tree is fast-growing and drought-resistant. It loves sun and heat and doesn’t tolerate freezing weather. Moringa oleifera is a slender tree with drooping branches, brittle stems and whitish-grey corky bark. It has feathery green to dark-green foliage tripinnate leaves and yellowish-white flowers. The trees usually begin producing about second year about 300 pods, but it can take a few years to get to the 1000 or more pods a good tree can yield.

There are a vast amount of uses for this tree. According to Purdue University, almost every part of the plant has value as a food. The seeds can be eaten like a peanut, the roots can be eaten and taste like horseradish, and the leaves are eaten in salads, curries and used for seasoning.

The plant has other non-food uses include Moringa seeds being pressed for oil. This oil is used in arts and lubricating small and delicate machines, and it clear, sweet and odorless it is edible and is also used in manufacturing perfumes and hair products. The wood can be used to create a blue dye and the bark is used in tanning.

The oil from the seeds contain between 33 and 41 % oil. It is also known as Ben Oil, due to its content of behenic (docosanoic) acid. This oil can be used in the production of biodiesel, (Source) and the remaining seed cake can be used as fertilizer.

Morigna Oil and Morigna BiodieselMorigna oleifera Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

 

Neem Oil

The Neem tree is also known as nimtree, Indian lilac, or margosa tree. ABHIJEET (photographer) (2014, September 19) Neem tree in banana farms at Chinawal, India. The scientific name is Azadirachta indica. This large evergreen tree that is usually 49 to 66 ft tall but can get as big as 130 ft tall. This fast growing  tree is found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaya, Indonesia, Japan, and the tropical regions of Australia. It has long skinny leaves that are dark green in color and produces white fragrant flowers. The flowers produce a smooth olive like fruit. The seed in the center is called the kernel which contain 40-50% of an acrid green to brown colored oil.  The oil in the REG study was pure, cold pressed neem oil that was purchased from The Ahimsa Alternative, Inc.

This tree can tolerate high to very high temperatures but does poorly in temperatures below 40o F.   It grows best in dry, sandy well-draining soil. (Source)  Neem trees are drought resistant, but begin to lose leaves in prolonged droughts. The tree propagates itself by seeding and in some non-native environments the plant has been classified as a weed.

There are many uses of the Neem tree. The wood is strong and durable, the tree is related to the mahagony family, so furniture and other durable good can be made from the wood.  The leaves are dried and used in cupboards as an insect deterrent to prevent insects from eating clothes and rice. The trees oil and products can be found in shampoos, soaps creams, toothpastes and mouthwashes. The young twigs are even used as toothbrushes in rural areas. (Source)   The oil extracted from the seeds are used as a natural insecticide, repellent and fungicide. The oil is also used as a lubricant, lamp fuel and can be turned into biodiesel.

Neem Oil & Neem BiodieselNEEM Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil.

We’re continuing our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This posts two feedstocks are Moringa oleifera Oil and Neem Oil.  To see more of the feedstocks we have already covered follow this link to the main page of feedstocks we have examined so far.