Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals L.p.

Sunoco Partners Butane Blending LLC

Mce Blending, LLC

Texon Corporation

Mce Blending International LLC

Steven M Vanderbur

Larry D Mattingly

Disclosed are automated methods and systems for certifying the volatility of butane-enriched gasoline downstream of a butane blending operation. Such automated methods and systems provide significant advantages to comply with volatility requirements imposed by EPA or state regulations.

Methods for making and distributing batches of butane-enriched gasoline

A system and method are provided for in-line processes of blending butane into gasoline streams, and for blending butane into a gasoline stream at any point along a petroleum pipeline. The invention additionally provides a method for measuring the vapor pressure and vapor to liquid ratio of the gasoline, both upstream and downstream of the blending operation, as well as the sulfur content of the butane entering the blending operation. The blending operation can be controlled to ensure that the blended gasoline meets EPA requirements for vapor pressure and sulfur content of gasoline. The invention further provides a method for accessing and monitoring the operation off-site.

Versatile systems for continuous in-line blending of butane and petroleum

The invention relates to systems and methods for modifying the volatility of petroleum prior to ethanol addition. The methods can include (a) providing (i) a supply of gasoline, (ii) an ethanol standard, and (iii) a supply of butane; (b) analyzing the volatility of a sample formed by mixing the gasoline and ethanol standard; (c) calculating from the volatility a ratio of butane that can be blended into the sample without causing the sample to pass the one or more fixed volatility limits; and (d) blending butane from the butane supply with gasoline from the gasoline supply at or below the ratio calculated in step (c).

Method for modifying the volatility of petroleum prior to ethanol addition

A system and method is provided for blending butane with gasoline at petroleum tank farms, immediately before distribution to tanker trucks. The invention provides a method for blending gasoline and butane at a tank farm comprising: (a) drawing a gasoline stream from a tank of gasoline; (b) drawing a butane stream from a tank of butane; (c) blending the butane and gasoline streams to form a blend; and (d) dispensing the blend. The blending process can be controlled to ensure that the vapor pressure of the blended gasoline meets vapor pressure requirements of environmental regulations. Information generated by the blending process can be used to efficiently forecast butane purchasing requirements, and to generate regulatory reports.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Steven M Vanderbur