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ll <lkslittle@REMOVEcomcastTHIS.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>I've read that immediately after a big tanker fills the
>gas station's underground tanks that sediment is stirred up
>and can result in a problem similar to what you described.
>I wonder if that is true, and if it is, how big an effect it is.[/color]

My son (a Shell Oil Co engineer) told me a really interesting
problem that this local gas station had a few years ago...they'd
dip their tanks (with those long wooden dipsticks of course) and
find that they'd need XXX gallons of fuel...the tanker'd come and
pump 'that' many gallons and stop.

The driver'd dip the tank and find that the dip showed the fuel
level about 300 gallons short, yet the tank was full. He'd
scratch his head, tell the station owner about it. Station owner
would check the dip the next day and would come up with the
correct amount

This went on for awhile...nobody could figure what was going on.
Shell Oil told my son to 'fix it', took him awhile but eventually
he got it.

What was happening was that there was about 300 gallons of water
in the bottom of the tank which would be liquid under normal
circumstances but when it was being refilled with super cold fuel
from the tanker would freeze and hold the dipstick up ~300
gallons from the bottom. (I don't use Shell any more)
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)