White or red, any petrol is chemically the same – Reports

The reasons given for why petrol from Dangote refinery looks clearer or why it is white might just a public relations’ reason after all.

A quick visit to the Internet reveals the any petrol or petroleum products are chemically the same.

Jim van Traine a Former Oil Industry Consultant (2012–2017), says, “Petroleum products are often dyed. Lacking any dye gasoline or petrol tends to be water white or maybe have a very faint but if yellow or blue tinge but that’s extremely subtle. That bit of tinge comes from the components in the fuel and how it was processed.

“Dye is added to make it easy to identify a particular sample.”

Recall that the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, petrol from his refinery appears clearer than the petrol currently in circulation because it is more environmentally friendly and could help reduce health issues associated with polluted petroleum products

Speaking during a broadcast at his refinery in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, Dangote noted that this new petrol would also protect engines from damage caused by the unclear petrol typically found in the market.

He said, “This is the sample of the petrol. You see it as a different colour, but that is the real deal. You are now going to have a good and genuine product.”

He further emphasised, “The health of the people and the environment will not be compromised. This is the real deal.”

But www.quora.com articled insisted “Petrol and gasoline are essentially the same product – refined petroleum fuel used primarily in internal combustion engines. The reason they may appear to be of different colors is due to the addition of colorants or dyes, not any inherent difference in the fuel itself.

“There are a few key reasons why petrol and gasoline may be dyed different colors:

1. Taxation purposes – Governments often apply different tax rates to various grades or types of automotive fuels. Adding colorants helps visually distinguish fuels that are taxed at different rates, such as regular gasoline versus diesel.
2. Regulatory requirements – Some regions mandate the coloring of certain types of fuels for safety or consumer identification purposes. For example, aviation gasoline is often dyed a distinctive blue color.
3. Branding and marketing – Fuel suppliers may add dyes to differentiate their branded products from competitors, even if the underlying fuel is chemically identical. This can help with brand recognition at the pump.
4. Fuel additive identification – Colored dyes are sometimes used to indicate the presence of certain fuel additives, such as octane boosters or detergents.

“So in summary, the color differences between petrol and gasoline are primarily due to the addition of harmless coloring agents, not any inherent distinction in the composition or properties of the fuels themselves. The base fuel is chemically the same, just with different visual identifiers applied.”