Americans consume an average of 380 million gallons of gasoline every day or about 140 billion gallons a year. Roughly half of the petroleum used in the nation’s refineries is manufactured into gasoline, and this output is supplemented by imports of gasoline, which make up about a tenth of total supply.

Gasoline is produced year-round, but production is tilted toward gasoline ahead of and during the summer driving months. Gasoline is delivered to some 168,000 retail outlets around the country though a extensive system of pipelines, terminal and tanker trucks.

In addition to the various grades of gasoline – premium, mid-grade and regular – the composition of gasoline also varies by region. Some sections of the country, particularly large metropolitan areas such as St. Louis and Los Angeles, are required to use gasoline specially formulated to meet environmental programs specific to the area. As a result, the gasoline sold in one area may not be suitable for use in another, a situation that can complicate the task of meeting consumer demand in periods of tight supply.

Advantages
Gasoline is the dominant transportation fuel because its packs a great deal of energy in a relatively small volume. Although its manufacture is a complex process, as a finished product it can be moved and stored with relative ease and safety. The nation’s extensive network of petroleum product pipelines and marketing outlets provides motorists with convenient access to gasoline almost anywhere.

Issues
Refineries that produce gasoline and other petroleum products can release pollutants in the manufacturing process which can escape into the air, land or water. Processes must be carefully to controlled and monitored to assure that all emissions are within state and federal environmental standards. In addition, because refineries handle millions of gallons of volatile liquids every day, refinery workers must adhere to strict safety practices to protect both themselves and their community neighbors.

Gasoline, like all petroleum products, can produce various pollutants when consumed in cars and trucks. The release of these materials can be minimized by vehicle emissions control devices such as catalytic converters and by changing the composition of the fuel itself. Cleaner-burning “reformulated gasoline” was introduced in 1990 and has been continually improved. In addition, the sulfur content of gasoline has been reduced to virtually zero, nearly eliminating sulfur dioxide emissions released from automobiles. As a carbon-based fuel, gasoline when burned gives off carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. The blending of renewable energy resources such as ethanol into conventional gasoline helps reduce vehicle carbon dioxide emissions.

For More Information
This Week in Petroleum, a weekly overview of factors influencing the price and supply of gasoline, diesel (distillates), propane and crude oil, compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
About Gasoline, a wrap-up of recent gasoline-related developments compiled by the American Petroleum Institute (API).
How Oil Refining Works, a Web site presented by HowStuffWorks that summarizes the processes involved in manufacturing crude oil into gasoline.