RobJ
Elite Member
Actually sorta kinda maybe. You are correct today LS diesel and heating oil is the same thing. In the old days, they would mix some 2 oil (diesel) and 4 oil, little heavier, together to make home heating oil. it would still burn and heat ok.
But high sulphur diesel does have a cut off point. If a refinery runs a sweet crude(low sulphur), the natural by product diesel will have a lower sulphur content(still not UL contect). A real nasty sour crude(high sulphur), will still produce diesel but it will have so much sulphur it has to be processed to make it to high sulphur diesel. To much sulphur and it sort of dilutes the product. It won't run stuff or is just a real poor product. In diesel think that the BTU's are less so you have to burn more to get the same heat. Refinerys have to be set up to run this heavy stuff to. It's hard on things.
So sweet crude and the diesel has less sulphur, sour crude and it has much more. Garbage in and garbage out. The API sets the standards and cut off points for each product so the market can price them out. And there is a LOT of lab work at refinerys to make sure things are within spec. There is a lab device that checks for the proper amount of dye in diesel. Not to spec? You pay taxes!!
