No More Chevron Gas!

[SilveradoWV]

This article was in our local newspaper, looks like no more Chevron with Techron in my area, I considered this about the best gas we had around here.

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- About 90 retailers that sell Chevron gasoline will have until July 2010 to find a new fuel supplier.

 

Last week, Chevron announced it was pulling its name from about 1,100 service stations in West Virginia and a dozen other Eastern states.

 

 

West Virginia Chevron distributors include Belle-based One Stop convenience stores, Par Mar Stores of Parkersburg, Woodford Oil Co. of Elkins and 7-Eleven stores.

 

 

"This was kind of a shock to us," said Jan Vineyard, president of the West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association. "It was done without warning, but the distributors will work hard going forward."

 

 

The retail service stations and convenience stores are expected to move to other brands.

 

 

The retailers already have contracts with other gasoline companies.

 

 

One Stop stores, for instance, sell motor fuel under the Exxon and Chevron brands. Woodford Oil has contracts with five fuel suppliers.

 

 

Some stores may have a difficult time switching to another brand of gasoline, if nearby competitors already sell the same fuel, Vineyard said.

 

In recent years, oil companies have cut back on retail operations where profit margins are small.

 

 

"Its very tough when you lose a business partner," Vineyard said. "It's very tough to be a business out there these days."

 

 

The Chevron stations being cut account for about 8 percent of the company's U.S. fuel volume.

 

 

Chevron expects to make up for lost sales in Eastern states in other areas where it has a stronger presence. The company will continue to about 5,000 stations in the East.

 

 

For years, Chevron operated a storage and barge loading facility along the Kanawha River on Charleston's West Side, Vineyard said. The facility is now closed.

 

 

During the past 18 months, several oil companies -- including BP, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips -- have stepped away from retail operations to varying degrees.

[dlstewart01]

This is too bad. I think part of the problem is consumers aren't demanding a top tier quality gas, these stores want to buy from the lowest bidder, and Shell has a lot of the market in those areas. More cheap low quality gas I guess.

[MS3DALE]

Well that sucks,I always buy Chevron gas when I'm traveling through West Virginia and Virginia on my way to North Carolina.

We don't have any Chevron stations up here,So I use Shell.

[Nytemare]

Hope they don't do that up north here...I will need a new tune...they're the only ones that sell 94 octane fuel in my area...and only 3 stations at that.

[ColoradoSkiCountry]

We just had a bunch of Phillips 66 stations switch over to Shell not too long ago. Now there are a ton more shell stations around Nothing bad with Shell gas, just not as good as Phillips and Chevron in my opinion. If they had Chevron stations here in Colorado, I'd use em in a heartbeat, but now my choices are Phillips-66/Conoco (same company/same gas) Shell, and Sinclair. Anyone hear anything about Sinclair's gas and additives? It's an american owned company using for the most part American oil, (refineries are up in Wyoming and a big distro center here in Denver) The fuel always seems to be 3-5 cents cheaper at Sinclair as compared to Shell and the other brands, so I've always figured it's just a cheap discount brand with no good additives in there. The place is always packed though, they have to re-fill their tanks every 2 days!