The petroleum products produced at Murphy's refineries are distributed via pipeline and barges throughout a 23-state marketing area.
Murphy's Upper Midwest distribution system, supported by the Company's Superior refinery in Wisconsin covers an eight-state area. The distribution system includes 21 light products terminals, five of which are wholly owned by Murphy. The system supplies gasoline to SPUR branded wholesale stations, as well as Murphy USA retail sites located on Wal-Mart parking lots.
Murphy's 125,000 barrel a day refinery in Meraux, Louisiana anchors the Company's Gulf Coast market which serves the southeastern region of the United States. Murphy's southeastern distribution system includes pipeline and water terminals, 7 of which are wholly owned by Murphy. The distribution system supplies gasoline to SPUR branded stations and to an increasing number of Murphy USA retail stations located on Wal-Mart parking lots.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spur, Gasoline, Etc.
Why does Murphy market under the Spur brand?
What is gasoline?
What is ASTM?
What is meant by Octane?
What is engine knock?
How can I prevent engine knock?
Which gasoline octane should I use in my car?
Why do I need a detergent additive?
Is detergent additive available in all octane grades?
What is Reformulated Gasoline (RFG)?
What causes RFG to have a different odor?
Will RFG work in my car?
Will using RFG affect my car's fuel economy?
Can I use RFG in other gasoline powered equipment?
Why does Murphy market under the Spur brand?
When Murphy Corporation entered the marketplace in 1959 by acquiring the well established Spur Oil Company, a logo was the first thing needed to distinguish the company's unique marketing techniques -- while continuing to identify with the Spur brand.
The Spur Distributing Company was formed in 1928 (re-organized as the Spur Oil Company in February, 1959) by J. Mason Houghland, and the Company was head-quartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Spur located its stations on right-of-way land it inexpensively leased from the railroad for 30 days to one year with the obligation to receive product by railroad tank car. At each location the Company erected a small building with a gravel driveway and three or four pumps. Only gasoline and motor oil were sold. The marketing system had less overhead than other marketers because of the relatively cheap transportation of the tank cars and the advantage of having the product shipped directly from the refinery and unloaded into the service station's tanks from a spur track, of side track, of the railroad.
Before Murphy purchased Spur, motorists knew the (still) registered trademark as a representation of one of the railroad tank cars which unloaded product to the stations. The words "SPUR GAS" were printed on the silhouetted tank car, and "SPUR GASOLINE" was printed in a circle around the edges of the glass globe atop the pump. The distinguishing sign was the only such trademark motorists saw from the road.
Murphy employed the New York advertising agency Lippincott & Margulies to originate a new logo that would be a blend of the well known Spur name and its new owner. The agency originally wanted to associate the Spur brand with the spur on a cowboy's boot, but a compromise produced the rowel, or spiked disc of the spur.
Just as the spur track was an extension of the railroad's main line, the rowel is an extension of the cowboy spur. Appropriately, the Spur brand remains an extension of Murphy Oil.
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What is gasoline?
In general, gasoline is a complex mixture of many components, called hydrocarbons, which are refined from crude oil. These hydrocarbons are blended together to produce a fuel which is used to power spark ignition, internal combustion engines. The recipe used for blending these hydrocarbons may vary from refinery to refinery. Finished gasolines, however, are required to meet certain specifications as defined by federal and state regulations, as well as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
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What is ASTM?
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is an organization comprised of voluntary representatives from automobile manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, gasoline producers, and pipeline companies. Through this organization, specifications are developed for gasoline in order to provide a product which will provide satisfactory performance, under varied operating conditions, for all automobiles.
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What is meant by Octane?
The Antiknock Index, commonly referred to as "Octane", is a measure of a gasoline's ability to resist pre-ignition, or engine knock. The Antiknock Index posted at the retail pump, such as 87 Octane, is the result of a formula which most closely depicts the average resistivity of the gasoline to engine knock. This average is displayed on the gasoline pump with a sticker showing "(R+M)/2 Method".
The Research Octane Number, or "R" in the equation, is a measure of the gasoline's ability to resist knock at low speed under relatively mild operating conditions, such as city type driving. The Motor Octane, or "M" in the equation, is a measure of the gasoline's ability to resist knock at high speeds and under severe operating conditions, such as towing a boat or climbing steep hills. The average of these two numbers define how well the gasoline will resist engine knock under most conditions.
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What is engine knock?
Engine knock is a sharp metallic noise, sometimes referred to as engine clatter or pinging, caused by the pre-ignition of fuel as it is compressed in the cylinder, milliseconds before the normal spark plug firing. This condition typically occurs during acceleration, such as merging into highway traffic, or under heavy load conditions, such as pulling a boat or travel trailer. Under knock conditions, a vehicle will experience a reduction in power output as well as reduced fuel economy.
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How can I prevent engine knock?
Several factors can contribute to, or result in, engine knock. These factors include outdoor temperature extremes, altitude, humidity, operating under heavy engine loads, time elapsed between routine tune-ups, vehicle age, and manufacturing and engineering tolerances. The most common cause of engine knock is improper tuning of the engine, where the engine timing has deviated from the manufacturers design specifications. This problem is easily resolved through proper routine maintenance and tune-ups.
As a vehicle's engine ages, the octane required to prevent knock may increase. This condition is referred to as Octane Requirement Increase, or ORI, and is the result of normal engine wear. In instances where you experience occasional or moderate knocking, your first line of defense is to try a higher octane gasoline to accommodate this ORI of your engine.
Severe knocking, which cannot be remedied by using a higher octane grade of gasoline, demands your authorized mechanics attention.
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Which gasoline octane should I use in my car?
Your first reference should be the vehicle Owner's Manual. Each automobile manufacturer includes, in the Owner's Manual, the recommended minimum octane for normal operation of the vehicle. As a general rule of thumb, however, use the octane grade which prevents your engine from knocking or pinging. Murphy provides three different octane grades of gasoline, complete with proprietary high performance detergent additive, to satisfy the needs of a wide range of vehicles and operating conditions.
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Why do I need a detergent additive?
Un-additized gasoline can leave harmful deposits in today's fuel systems which are technically advanced and highly sensitive to such deposits. Over time, as these deposits accumulate, a vehicle may develop drivability problems, such as hesitation, loss of power, poor acceleration, rough idle or even stalling.
Gasoline detergent additive is formulated to help maintain your car's engine at peak performance by preventing deposits from formulating in critical areas.
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Is detergent additive available in all octane grades?
Yes. The benefits of our additive is provided to all our customers, regardless of the octane grade you choose.
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What is Reformulated Gasoline (RFG)?
The Clean Air Act of 1990 identified specific areas in the United States with higher concentrations of air pollutants. To improve air quality, the Environmental Protection Agency mandated that certain of these areas would require Reformulated Gasoline (RFG). RFG is gasoline which has been specifically manufactured to reduce undesirable emissions from vehicles.
RFG must meet more stringent specifications compared to conventional gasoline (non-RFG). These more stringent specifications, which also require the addition of oxygenates to the gasoline blend, reduce the air pollutants from vehicles. The oxygenates provide additional oxygen in the combustion chamber and thereby result in a more complete combustion of the gasoline.
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What causes RFG to have a different odor?
Oxygenates in gasoline, such as RFG, may give the fuel a different smell. Typically, the oxygenate Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) is the source of the smell, though other oxygenates may be present.
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Will RFG work in my car?
Yes. In fact, all automobile manufacturers have approved RFG for use in their vehicles.
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Will using RFG affect my car's fuel economy?
While gas mileage is largely affected by driving habits and vehicle maintenance, use of RFG may result in a slight decrease in fuel economy of up to 3 percent.
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Can I use RFG in other gasoline powered equipment?
For such equipment, consumers should consult the owner's manual or contact the manufacturer regarding and questions about using RFG.
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