A survey of gasoline station customers in France shows 41% of men and 74% of women do not like the smell of gasoline.
In most countries, customers would be expected to tough it out. But it's different in France, home of the world's most famous parfumiers.
The survey was carried out on behalf of Total SA. Acting on the results, Total commissioned suppliers to leading perfume houses to create a new range of fragrances for its gasoline grades.
Total then assembled a representative panel of customers to help decide on what smell suited which fuel grade.
The panel chose a slightly acidic perfume for one Total fuel and a fruity vanilla fragrance for three other grades.
To publicize its perfumed fuels, Total has advertised on television and in women's' magazines. The magazine ads carried "scratch and sniff' cards.
A Total official said the perfume additives are intended mainly to neutralize the odor of the fuel. Early response was said to be favorable, especially among women.
ELF'S EXPERIENCE
France's other big native oil company, Ste. Nationale Elf Acquitaine, has its own history of involvement with perfumes.
Twenty years ago, when oil companies had the money to experiment with moves into other industries, Elf helped create a pharmaceutical company, Sanofi, which now holds a large share of the perfume market.
Elf also introduced "biomask" to its diesel fuels in 1990. A company spokesman said this disguised the offensive component of diesel's odor but did not hide its fuelly smell.
"Elf took the approach that gasoline is a fuel and should not be confused with any other liquid," the Elf official said.
Elf's diesel fuel is still made with its masking component, but the company is said to have no plans for experiments with perfumed gasolines.
BEET FUEL
Meanwhile, Elf reports success with its project to produce fuels containing ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE). French law encourages ETBE manufacture from ethanol derived from sugar beet and cereals.
Last year Elf began selling gasoline containing ETBE derived from farm produce. The fuel was offered from marked pumps at stations in limited areas (OGJ, July 26, 1993, p. 38). This year Elf expects the "biofuel" to be available throughout France.
From April 1993 to August 1994 Elf produced 110,000 metric tons of ETBE at its Feyzin refinery near Lyons, using 53,000 metric tons of ethanol derived from beet and cereal.
The ETBE was added to 1.8 million metric tons of gasoline, which made up one fourth of Elf's fuel production in France for the period.
Total at present is waiting on the outcome of a feasibility study for its own ETBE plant. This would be a 50,000 metric ton/year unit at the Le Havre or Dunkerque refinery, with start-up penciled in for 1995.
Copyright 1994 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
