Petroleum production and its products are a very complex domain.Hanny wrote: ↑05 Aug 2019, 08:00So petrol (POL) consumption LW POL for 42 was 2.089 million -1.584 million =505000 tons. And half again of that for 41.Richard Anderson wrote: ↑24 Jul 2019, 22:12In the second half of 1941 c. 812,900 avgas.
In 1942, they used c. 1.584 million metric tons of aviation gasoline and c. 2.089 million tons of all POL products (AVGAS, MOGAS, Diesel, lubricants, and fuel oil).
but in 1942, they used c. 4.6 to 5.3 million tons of all POL products, with c. 3.9 million (74%) of that consumed on the Ostfront.
(and if there are someone with greater knowledge in this industry please advice)
Crude oil are broken down into a number of products, but these are most of the time not interchangeable.
In short and what was available in Germany during the war:
Instead of producing Aviation gasoline you can stop the process earlier and get motor gasoline.
Diesel, fuel oil and lubricants uses "other parts" of the crude oil, can't be used as motor gasoline.
So for 1942 LW AVGAS use could have been used as ordinary gasoline, just cheaper than avgas.
Given that the decision was made at the refinery.
Note -
During the war US industry did huge improvements in the processing, "cracking"
and today, given modern processes, energy, and additives,
the "conversion" between the different "parts" are much improved i an economical manner.
Cheers
/John