[atnyia]

Originally Posted by Jeeper1941

Sorry for the ignorant question - but what makes Shell fuels (petrol or diesel) 'special' so that they can charge more? I've noticed that their fuel stations are clean and well maintained (in Bangalore at least) but that doesn't justify charging a premium, does it? Is there any difference in the quality of the fuel itself? (I don't notice any difference in performance whether I fill Caltex, Mobil, BP or Shell BTW).
Thanks!

I have no idea. I had used it extensively in Pune and Mysore. The engine sounded smoother and mileage was better, upto 5 KMPL for my Pulsar. Maybe they use some banned substance like Sharapova.

[sukiwa]

Don't know if this has been announced much later than being operational. Price of diesel on NH4 bypass in Pune has been less than PSU bunks in city for last 2-3 months. One Shell bunk even has a banner stating diesel available at reduced prices. Other one near warje had a discount of Rs.3 per litre of fuel if can of engine oil (5 lit or more) was bought at outlet.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Don't know if this has been announced much later than being operational.

Could be that they started small, but wanted it to be in effect in 6 states before making a big announcement.

Shell definitely has nicer pumps than the average PSU outlet, and the earlier pricing gave it a sort of a premium image too. This could work in its favour now.

[rkg]

Be it Shell/HPCL/IOC/BPCL/Essar/Reliance, everyone gets their fuel(Petrol/Diesel) from Devanamgoti IOCL depot near K R Puram.

Shell do not have any refineries of its own in India.

It has to buy fuel from one of the PSU oil marketing companies.

As can be seen from the first post, out of 82 shell pumps, 27 are in Bangalore. Why?

The perception of Shell fuel to be superior and more number of shell pumps in Bangalore, reminds me a Cholesterol free eggs sold through Food world chains in Bangalore in 2000-01 @ Rs 5/ egg. That time market price of egg was less than Rs 1.50. They advertised with huge bill boards and sold these eggs for Six months afterwards , these eggs disappeared as fast as they appeared. These eggs were sold only in Bangalore at that time and only at Food world stores. No other cities. They even claimed these eggs are the result of research from IVRI(Indian Veterinary Research Institute). As ICAR scientist, we know it is not correct.

I never got better mileage from Shell fuel.

Mods: Please delete the post if it is irrelevant

[Thebat]

Originally Posted by rkg

Be it Shell/HPCL/IOC/BPCL/Essar/Reliance, everyone gets their fuel(Petrol/Diesel) from Devanamgoti IOCL depot near K R Puram.

Shell do not have any refineries of its own in India.

It has to buy fuel from one of the PSU oil marketing companies.

As can be seen from the first post, out of 82 shell pumps, 27 are in Bangalore. Why?

I never got better mileage from Shell fuel.

Mods: Please delete the post if it is irrelevant

Well I don't know about how the oil market works but I have noticed that the petrol available In shell and hp and ioc petrol pumps are different in colour. She'll had a bright golden orange shade whereas the others have a dull yellow to dull orange hue.

This fact got reinstated in my mind when a friends thunderbird broke down during a ride due to an fuel injection problem and the mechanic immediately recognized the petrol being from shell.

My experience at Shell is also constantly good with polite staff, additional services like windshield cleaning and free oil change and their air pumps always work and are manned by an attendant unlike other psu petrol stations so we are in fact paying for the fuel as well as these extra services, and in today's era the experience is as important as the product itself.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by Jeeper1941

Sorry for the ignorant question - but what makes Shell fuels (petrol or diesel) 'special' so that they can charge more? I've noticed that their fuel stations are clean and well maintained (in Bangalore at least) but that doesn't justify charging a premium, does it? Is there any difference in the quality of the fuel itself? (I don't notice any difference in performance whether I fill Caltex, Mobil, BP or Shell BTW).

You are theoretically correct since Shell buys fuel from IOC. However, with malpractice endemic (with PSUs) Shell fuel bunks are known for full measurement and no adulteration. As for RIL they market their own stuff.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

As for RIL they market their own stuff.

No even Reliance buys from PSU Oil marketing companies in south, north, east India. May be west India the supplies are from their refinery

It is mostly like this, each OIL PSU/Private refineries cater to petrol pumps in that area due to logistics

Reliance pumps have a centralized billing feature( thats what i heard, when they started the service several years back). Each retail sale generated by every reliance pump gets registered with head office. Hence a pump can not sell more that what they procured from Oil marketing firm. This effectively prevented adulteration to a great extent.

With regard to Shell i do not know their pumps have centralized billing. At least i have not come across any such news in this regard.

I had very bad experience with shell, where pump attended did not give back the change, until i asked. I was never offered windshield cleaning at Shell. Rather i got it without even asking from HPCL outlets. I have tried three / four time with shell and compared with HPCL/BPCL. I always got more mileage with PSU pumps. My earlier car Indica Vista ran 92000 km . never had fuel pump issues. (98% times fuel filled from PSU pumps, that too across the length and breadth of the country)
It is mostly a perception that Shell is better.

To each his own

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by rkg

Be it Shell/HPCL/IOC/BPCL/Essar/Reliance, everyone gets their fuel(Petrol/Diesel) from Devangonti IOCL depot near K R Puram.

Shell do not have any refineries of its own in India.

PSU bunks get it from the Devangonthi and the other near by depots. Shell for surely gets it from MRPL Mangalore. Shell does not source from the Devangonthi Depot. They have their own tankers ferrying fuel to their stations.

[alpha1]

Looks like everyone missed the real bomb and Shell is quite slow to react (2 months slow):
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...ml#post3908426

Reliance was selling below the PSU prices.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

In India I would be more concerned about the diesel quality in terms of how it gets stored and transported.
Jeroen

This, coupled with the fact that you don't have to worry about the quantity or about the attendant who is trying to scam you, are the reasons I stick with Shell whenever I can.

The value additions shell offers (cleaning of windshield, free air, small convenience store etc) are also a plus.

--Anoop

[Turbanator]

They have their own tankers ferrying fuel to their stations.

Reliance pumps have a centralized billing feature

I believe this is the key differentiator between Shell/ Reliance and other PSU apart from the centralised billing of reliance.
Won't have much expertise but I hear Reliance refineries are newer ones and with better technologies & can process different type of crude .

http://www.business-standard.com/art...1600173_1.html

[ajitkommini]

Originally Posted by Jeeper1941

...I've noticed that their fuel stations are clean and well maintained (in Bangalore at least) but that doesn't justify charging a premium, does it? ...

Why not?? 40p a litre is a premium of less than 1% when the cost is INR 47 or 48 per litre. I would gladly patronise a pump thats clean, well maintained, with staff who are attentive and above all able to enforce a proper queue system. I imagine there must be more than a few people like myself which has enabled these guys to remain in business so long. I feel that in India we have a tendency to underestimate the value of packaging and service quality, focussing only on the perceived "value for money" of the product itself.

[dass]

Originally Posted by GTO

Shell definitely has nicer pumps than the average PSU outlet,

Partly true, however off late I see a lot of PSU bunks which are much better than SHELL be it their approach, the facilities and the staff. HP I believe are a lot more proactive as I see their bunks in much better shape.

A point to note, none of the shell bunks I have visited in Bangalore have nitrogen, while most of the HP ones have it and some of them do a free top up as well.

Sorry for the , but I thought I should call this out.

[soumobakshi]

Have been a regular user of Shell from last 3 years now and i must appreciate the value that they bring in to the entire eco system of filling fuel.

1 draw back that i want them to address will be to bring in Nitrogen filling for tyres.

As rightly pointed out by someone, paying 1% extra is OK for the clean, hassle free experience that they deliver, consistently!

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by rkg

No even Reliance buys from PSU Oil marketing companies in south, north, east India. May be west India the supplies are from their refinery

I hear on authority that the bulk of PSU BS-IV Diesel is sourced from RIL. They buy Euro-V and then cut with their own BS-III stuff to get it down to BS-IV. They are unable to produce enough to feed the forty odd BS-IV cities.