TAHLEQUAH — When buying diesel fuel, it is important to know the difference between the dyed and clear forms of the combustible propellant. Not knowing that difference could result in engine damage, as well as serious financial consequences.

The two main forms of diesel are automotive diesel and red diesel. Aside from the dye added for coloration and to signify tax status, the two fuel types are chemically similar.

Clear or non-dyed diesel contains a low-sulfur level and is a road-vehicle grade available for purchase at most gas stations.

High-sulfur diesel fuel is dyed red and is not commonly available for sale to the general public.

“The red-dye diesel is not for on-road use at all,” said Speedy’s 66 Dayshift Clerk Rhonda Gammel. “Now if you’re running a [bull]dozer or backhoe, then you’ll use the red, but you’d better get clear [diesel] if it’s for on-road use. There’s a huge fine if you get caught using the red.”

Dyed diesel, which leaves residue behind when burned and may cause engine damage, is not legal for use in private on-road vehicles. The red coloration, or dye, is added to denote the fuel’s highway-tax exemption. It can be used in farm implements, timber harvesting and construction equipment, and in other vehicles that are not licensed for road use.

Tahlequah Farmer’s Co-Op Manager Roger Saunders said the majority of diesel sales at the store are for the dyed version, or red diesel.

“We sell 3-to-1 of the red fuel,” he said. “Mostly for off-road use like tractors. Almost all of it goes to tractors.”

Red diesel is also used for heating purposes in either residential or commercial settings. The dyed fuel can be used in vehicles owned by the state, or local or city governments, because of federal law exemption from the federal tax, according to Ozarks Farm & Neighbor.com.

The fuel can also be used in school buses.

Aside from monitoring sales at the pump site, detection of illegal use can be established by inspection points, where officers will pull over pickup trucks and semis to check the fuel tank for dye. Penalties for illegal use start at a minimum of $1,000 or $10 per gallon, whichever is more. Other avenues of detection would be in attempted engine repair due to use of dyed diesel.

Engines made in 2007 and after are required by law to use “Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel,” or ULSD. Engines produced in 2006 and before are permitted to use “Low-Sulfur Diesel,” or LSD. If dyed diesel has been detected as reason for the engine damage, the engine’s warranty may be voided by the manufacturer.

Both the red and clear diesel are available at some fuel stations in Tahlequah and the surrounding area, and pricing is commonly set according to supplier cost.

“The price is set according to the market value when it is ordered,” said Illinois River Store Owner James Beck.

Speedy’s 66 currently sells the clear diesel at $3.65 a gallon and the red at $3.35 a gallon, while the Tahlequah Farmer’s Co-Op sells both for a fraction less.

“We sell [red diesel] on a daily basis, but just as not as much as the undyed diesel,” said Gammel.

“It is not uncommon, though, to see a backhoe or tractor pulled up to the pump.”

Spiking prices may have prompted diesel fuel theft

HULBERT – A shortage in the diesel fuel stored for city use was reported during the Jan. 9 Hulbert City Council meeting. Approximately 76 gallons were unaccounted for in the city’s 500-gallon tank.

To ensure theft protection, securing the pumping station site  with a video-monitoring system was suggested by council member Ed Beckham, but an upgrade of pump equipment was noted as a first course of action to be taken.

The loss detection started when the city began storing undyed, or clear diesel, but the number differences may have been caused by equipment malfunction, said council member George Truitt.

“The meter could be juicing the numbers,” he said.

Hulbert Public Works Authority Superintendent Rick Lee said the city is still in the process of obtaining the needed equipment to upgrade the pumping station.

“Writing it down on the tickets and getting it to the office is our biggest problem,” said Lee noting he doesn’t believe the missing fuel is due to theft.  “I don’t really think that that’s case, but you can’t rule it out. We just need a better device to monitor that sort of thing.”