	Background

Department of Defense (DOD) fuel consumption varies from year to year in response to changes in mission and the tempo of operations. DOD may consume upwards of 1% of the petroleum products annually refined in the United States. Foreign purchased petroleum products may double DOD's consumption. The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), under the command of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), has the mission of purchasing fuel for all of DOD's services and agencies, both in the continental United States (CONUS) and outside (OCONUS). In practice, DESC typically awards fuel contracts based on the lowest cost to the point of delivery, typically for lengths of one year. It also compares the prices that DOD pays for fuel to commercially equivalent fuel, and the quantities of DOD fuel purchases to the net production of U.S. refined petroleum products. Recently introduced legislation that would cap greenhouse gas emissions is likely to affect some refinery operations, if not the refining industry's responsiveness to DOD's fuel requirements. The majority of DESC's bulk fuel purchases are for JP-8 jet fuel, which has ranged from 60 to 74 million barrels annually over the past decade (the equivalent of 165,000 to 200,000 barrels per day). The Navy consumes JP-5 jet fuel. Stated in other terms, fuel costs represented 1.2% of DOD's spending in FY2000, and more than doubled to 3% by FY2008. Generally, refineries are set up to run specific grades of crude oil, for example light sweet or heavy sour. Light sweet crude is particularly desirable as a feedstock for gasoline refining because its lighter-weight hydrocarbons make it easier to refine. Heavier crude oils require more complex processing than light crudes, and sour crudes require a desulfurization. Sulfur Regulations

Changes in crude oil supplies have led some refineries to upgrade their processes (increasing their complexity) to handle heavier sour crude oils. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken action to reduce the sulfur content of diesel fuel. U.S. Combined, the companies in Table 5 operate 31 refineries in the United States (shown in Table 6 ), and represent nearly 6 million barrels per day of crude capacity. Refinery Jet Fuel Yield and Supply

A typical refinery yields a limited supply of jet and diesel fuel depending on the type of crude oil processed. To make up the disparity, DESC has increased its purchase of commercial jet fuels, such as Jet A, which it upgrades to military specification. Multiyear Contracting Authority

In practice, DESC has typically awarded one-year bulk-fuel contracts and multi-year direct delivery fuel contracts. DESC uses fixed-price contracts with an economic price adjustment that provides for upward and downward revision of the stated contract price upon the occurrence of specified contingencies. DESC has determined supplies and related services are eligible for the multi-year contracting provisions under FAR17.105-1(b) and DFARS 217.170(a) and 217.172(b). In the past, DOD had not factored these hidden costs into fuel costs. By making fuel logistics part of the acquisition processes, new military capabilities must take a life-cycle cost analysis into account that includes the fully burdened cost of fuel.
Department of Defense (DOD) fuel consumption varies from year to year in response to changes in mission and the tempo of operations. DOD may consume upwards of 1% of the petroleum products refined in the United States annually. Petroleum products purchased and consumed overseas may double DOD's consumption. The majority of DOD's bulk fuel purchases are for jet fuel, which has ranged as high as 101 million barrels annually in the past decade. The U.S. refining industry has been supplying 50% of the jet fuel demand. DOD has consumed as much as 145 million barrels in overall petroleum products annually.
In FY2000, fuel costs represented 1.2% of the total DOD spending, but by FY2008 fuel costs had risen to 3.0%. Over the same time, total defense spending had more than doubled, but fuel costs increased nearly 500%. Prices paid for military specification JP-8 and JP-5 jet fuel have exceeded the price of commercial equivalent fuel. In a recent move to contain fuel costs, DOD has begun substituting commercial grade jet fuel for some of its purchases, and upgraded the fuel to military-specification.
Currently, 141 refineries operate in the United States. DOD's top four fuel suppliers operate a combined 31 refineries in the United States, which represents nearly 6 million barrels per day of crude oil distillation capacity. A typical U.S. refinery yields a limited supply of jet and diesel fuel depending on the type of crude oil processed. Gulf Coast (Texas and Louisiana) refineries yield up to 8% jet fuel. Generally, refineries are set up to run specific grades of crude oil, for example light sweet crude or heavy sour crude. Light sweet crude is particularly desirable as a feedstock for gasoline refining because its lighter-weight hydrocarbons make it easier to refine. Heavier crude oils require more complex processing than light crudes, and sour crudes require desulfurization. Changing crude oil supplies have consequently forced refineries to upgrade their processes (thus increase refinery complexity) to handle heavier sour crude oils. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken action to require lower sulfur content of diesel fuel, and has proposed a final rule that will require refineries to report their greenhouse gas emissions as a prelude to expected legislation that will limits emissions.
The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), which falls under the Defense Logistics Agency, has the mission of purchasing fuel for all of DOD's services and agencies. In practice, DESC has typically awarded fuel contracts for lengths of one year, but there are other buying programs with longer contract periods. DESC uses fixed-price contracts with economic price adjustments. These adjustments provide for upward and downward revision of the stated contract price upon the occurrence of specified contingencies. DESC has determined that supplies and related services are eligible for the multi-year contracting provisions under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and has adopted contracting instructions for entering into multiyear contracts. Bulk petroleum contracts and direct delivery fuel contracts are likely to remain one-year contracts, however.
DESC bases contract delivery price on the lowest cost to the government; however, the hidden logistical cost born by operational commands moving the fuel to their area of operations may not be fully accounted. The acquisition process for new military capabilities now requires that DOD account for fuel logistics when evaluating lifecycle costs.