Uruguay has removed itself from the list of Latin American nations that still sell leaded gasoline, eliminating a longtime public-health concern. But since the transition was completed March 30, attention here has shifted to another fuel-formulation question—whether Ancap, the state oil-refining monopoly, should continue making its highest-octane gasoline with the additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). Ancap stopped producing leaded gas last November following a US$150 million overhaul of its sole refinery, located in Montevideo. It took until March 30 to finish removing leaded fuel from its storage and distribution network. The conversion leaves Cuba, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela as the only Latin American countries still selling leaded gas, says the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles of the... [Log in to read more]