Muscat, Dec 16 - The M91 fuel, the cheapest petrol available in the market, is suitable for most passenger vehicles running on Omani roads today.
Even the popular SUVs can run on M91, as per details available on Orpic website under the category, ‘Know your fuel’.
The information is crucial as a large number of motorists continue to use M95, assuming it is of superior quality and a “must for vehicles” with better horsepower.
According to an automobile technical consultant associated with an auto dealership, ordinary cars do not need high octane unlike some premium or sports vehicles.
He said there are mechanisms to find out what kind of fuel is needed for their car, including in the manuals provided by car manufacturers.
According to the National Subsidy System (NSS), M91 fuel should work well with more than 80 per cent of cars registered in Oman.
The National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) report points to the fact that the domestic sales of M91 fuel has increased by nearly 30 per cent in the first ten months of 2017, compared with the same period last year.
Following a cabinet decision in April this year, the price of M91 fuel has been fixed at 186 baisas and will be offered at 180 baisas from January for citizens eligible for the NSS.
Sales of M95 fuel has decreased by 17 per cent in the first ten months of 2017, compared with the same period last year, which has been the trend in the past two years.
According to Orpic, driving styles such as sudden acceleration or braking, taking sharp curves and constant change of speed increase fuel consumption by around 25 per cent.
Alternatively, driving at a lower speed reduces fuel consumption by around 19 per cent.
It has called for the removal of unnecessary luggage as it may
lead to an increase in fuel consumption.
For instance, every 90 kg, there will be a decrease in the mileage by 1.6 km for every 3.7 litres of fuel.
It said exceeding a speed of 120 km per hour on highways will increase the rate of fuel consumption because of air resistance associated with excess speed that leads to an increase in the amount of fuel consumed.
Orpic said short distances are the arch-enemy of engines as they do not allow temperature of the engine to rise to the required levels and therefore consume a larger amount of fuel.
Vinod Nair
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