Civil Lawsuit * U.S. Sues Over Oil-Market Manipulation

Washington,DC,USA -The New York Times/Transport Topics -25 May 2011: -- U.S. commodities regulators have filed a civil lawsuit against two oil traders in Australia and California and three American and international firms over oil market manipulation in 2008, the record-high year for crude prices, reported Wednesday...  The suit says that in early 2008 the accused tried to hoard nearly two-thirds of available oil supplies, then abruptly dumped it and collected $50 million, the Times said in a front-page story...  Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulators would not say whether the agency was conducting any other investigations into oil speculation...  President, Barack Obama, said in April that the Justice Department was “putting together a team whose job it is to root out any cases of fraud or manipulation in the oil markets that might affect gas prices, and that includes the role of traders and speculators” ...  The defendants and companies denied to regulators that they manipulated the market, the paper reported...  If the United States proves the claims, the defendants may give up $50 million in profits that were believed to be made as a result of the manipulation and have pay a penalty of up to $150 million, the Times said...  (Picture from infiniteunknown: A supertanker)

Fuels, and fuel additives

There are hundreds of different fuel additives with all kinds of different claims! We are only really interested in the ones that CAN work to help power.

First we need to understand the differences between the two common road fuels we all use, and a few "race" fuels.

1st we have all those "additives" that claim to improve power, and torque, improve "smoothness" emissions, and mileage! Sometimes by 25 percent! But they cannot, or will not tell you how! Well get real! They are a CON!

2nd we have "octane boosters" SOME of these work well. Look for tests and recommendations, or just use proper high octane fuels in the first place!

3rd we have "upper cylinder lubricants" such as Redex etc. Well in a road car they may not hurt. In a highly stressed race engine running on the borderline of detonation, it might just be enough to kill it! You see oils radically lower the total cylinders Octane So be careful!

4th Methanol. This can if added in small amounts increase octane. But it may make the total fuel mixture weaker so again be careful!

Then there are the lead replacement additives. These may or may not work, some definitely don't. They are designed to replace the lead that some engines like to stop valve/head seating problems in pre unleaded fuel days! Don't confuse lead and Octane. Lead is for lubrication. Octane is a measure of the fuels ant knock properties. Although lead happens to increase octane a little too!

A little known fact...

In the UK leaded pump fuel if you can get it when mixed with super unleaded gives a higher octane than either alone! Because both use different additives to increase octane that work less effectively the higher the concentration