Friday January 11, 2008 FEATURES PEI invites comments on bulk storage installation procedures The comment period for the Petroleum Equipment Institute's Recommended Practices for Installation of Bulk Storage Plants is open till Jan. 15. The draft document was produced by the Petroleum Equipment Institute's (PEI) Bulk Plant Installation Committee and provides a basic reference that consolidates information on proper construction of new petroleum bulk-storage systems. (Full Story) A contrarian says oil prices are in for a 50 percent drop An economics writer predicts that oil prices will slide with the advent of new extraction methods and ongoing exploration that will lead to increased supply. Ethanol subsidies and gas alternatives, including natural gas, nuclear power, and synthetic crude, will also help to beat down oil prices within the next two or three years, contends the writer, David Levine, in the January issue of Portfolio, a monthly business magazine. (Full Story) Sign up for a FREE subscription to NPN, the magazine that has been reporting news and trends in the petroleum and convenience store industry since 1909. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Get The Data That Drives The Petroleum & Convenience Industry Today! Order your copy of the 2007 NPN MarketFacts today for the introductory price of only $195 (plus shipping and handling). To order your print copy and/or CD version of the 2007 NPN MarketFacts edition, please click here NEWS ITEMS EIA: average retail gasoline price leaps again; diesel price rises too The highest January price ever was registered as the U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline shot up 5.6 cents to 310.9 cents per gallon as of Jan. 7, according to the Jan. 9 issue of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That price is 80.3 cents above a year ago, the EIA noted. (Full Story) Atlas Oil purchases five R&J stores, and allies with BP Atlas Oil Co., Taylor, Mich., a national distributor of petroleum products and related services, completed acquisition of five convenience store / gas station properties in the Battle Creek, Mich., market, according to a Jan. 9 article in Detroit dBusinessNews. (Full Story) NCR to demo self-checkout with two-sided receipt printing at NRF show NCR Corp., Dayton, Ohio, said it will demonstrate its two-sided thermal receipt printing technology (2ST) for NCR FastLane at the National Retail Federation's Annual Convention & Expo, Jan. 13-16, 2008, in New York City. (Full Story) Gasoline thefts drop in an Illinois town; security cameras, pre-pay are cited Prices at the pump continue to climb, but the number of people stealing gasoline in Hinsdale, Ill., is on the decline, according to a Jan. 9 article by Alexa Jenner in Hinsdale Suburban Life. (Full Story) In Pennsylvania fuel prices rise with the temperature As the temperatures continued to go up over the weekend, so did gas prices. At some gas stations in its coverage area, the price jumped more than 10-cents in just a week, CBS 21 in Harrisburg, Pa., reported on Jan. 7. (Full Story) Tinbu launches interactive U.S. fuel pricing Tinbu, a provider of multilingual interactive data for Web and wireless use, announced Jan. 7 that it has launched an interactive fuel pricing module using its patent-pending technology, according to a Jan. 7 online report by TransWorldNews. (Full Story) Credit card theft device found at gas station in Tempe, Arizona Police are investigating how a device used to steal credit and debit card information was installed at a Tempe, Ariz., gas station pump on Jan. 3, according to an article by David Biscobing in the East Valley Tribune. (Full Story) GM CEO says U.S. needs 10 times more ethanol stations One of the big complaints from consumers who buy General Motors cars that run on E85 ethanol is the lack of places to fill up. (Full Story) OPW names vice president/GM of its Dispensing Products Division OPW Fueling Components, Cincinnati, Ohio, announced Jan. 7 that it has named Rahul Deshmukh vice president and general manager of its OPW Dispensing Products division. (Full Story) Diamond Oil strikes deal for eight Kwik King convenience stores in Florida Florida based Diamond Oil LLC, announced on Jan. 7 the purchase of eight Kwik King convenience stores in Ocala, Florida. Diamond has also agreed to supply fuel to an additional 11 Kwik King locations throughout central Florida, according to a press release. (Full Story) In Michigan: Speedway chain ends coupons for fuel discounts Speedway no longer offers fuel discount redemptions in the form of coupons or receipts, according to a report by ABC12 News in Michigan. (Full Story) TomTom offers service that finds lowest gas prices TomTom, Concord, Mass., a portable navigation solutions provider, on Jan. 7 unveiled TomTom Fuel Prices, a service that finds the lowest gas prices. (Full Story) Valero mulls options for Memphis, Krotz Springs refineries Valero Energy Corp. the largest U.S. refiner, is considering a sale or other strategic option for two of its U.S. refineries, CNN reported Jan. 3. (Full Story) ConocoPhillips boosts quarterly output; says margins are 'squeezed' ConocoPhillips said Jan. 3 that it managed to boost production of precious crude as oil trades near $100 a barrel, but refining margins continue to be squeezed, according to a Dow Jones report carried by CNN.com. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Veeder-Root's New TLS-450 The TLS-450 provides tank gauging that's ready for today's needs and tomorrow's challenges. Based on next generation technology, the TLS-450 can help operators adapt quickly to ever-changing business environments. It can be customized to fit the needs of your operation and ensure consistent site configuration across your network. Touch screen access and plug & play setup make integrating the TLS-450 easy. The TLS-450 opens a window to sites via the Web, a PC or a PDA allowing its users to more efficiently manage their fuel inventory and compliance requirements. The TLS-450 is a fully networked command center allowing users to remotely control configurations, upgrades and downloads with the highest level of security. If has the same footprint as TLS-300/350 models, and uses existing probes and sensors for a perfect fit and seamless integration. Gilbarco Veeder-Root www.veeder.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS SIGMA Winter Committee Meetings Salt Lake City, UT February 7-8 (703) 709-7000 www.sigma.org SIGMA Executive Leadership Conference Snowbird, UT The Cliff Lodge February 10-13 (703) 709-7000 www.sigma.org   WPMA Convention The Mirage Las Vegas, NV February 19-21 (801) 263-9762 www.wpma.com The Work Truck Show 2008 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA Convention: Feb 25-28, 2008 Trade Show: Feb 26-28, 2008 (800) 441-6832 in the U.S. (248) 489-7090 in Canada www.ntea.com   ASD/AMD Trade Shows Las Vegas Sands Expo Center, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Mirage Events Center & Grand Ballroom Las Vegas, NV March 2-5 Melissa Younkin (310) 481-7325 Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo Myrtle Beach Convention Center Myrtle Beach, SC March 5-6 (803) 419-0804   For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.  Published By NPN Group |  © 2008 NPN Group | All Rights Reserved For more information on NPN MarketPulse, contact: Gary Bevers, group publisher M2MEDIA360 Retail Distribution Group Ph: 832-444-7675 Fax: 800-430-3446 Keith Reid, editor-in-chief M2MEDIA360 NPN Group Ph: 630-739-0280 Fax: 630-739-0321 This newsletter is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of M2MEDIA360.

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