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Article: Unocal patent shocks competitors, throws RFG 'phase 2' up for grabs. (California's Phase 2 reformulated gasoline regulations)
- Article from:
- National Petroleum News
- Article date:
- March 1, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 M2Media360. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Unocal Corp. stunned California refiners when it announced January 31 that it has obtained a U.S. patent for a wide range of gasoline formulations needed for refiners to meet California's Phase 2 reformulated gasoline (RFG) regulations that go into effect in March 1996.
Unocal fully expects that other refiners will have to obtain a license and pay a fee to manufacture complying gasoline for the California market. Other refiners don't appear to intend to pay that fee, although they admit the seriousness of Unocal's patent. The patent is practically certain to be attacked.
Trade sources cannot recall any time in U.S. history when an oil company succeeded in ...