Diesel Quality, ULSD & AdBlue/DEF Availability in Chile— A Field Report

This article provides a quick overview for international overlanders traveling with Diesel vehicles.

Last updated: March 2024

Let’s start with the good news: Diesel in Chile has sulfur content below 15 ppm. [1]

Chile has a few major gas stations:

• Copec
• Petrobras
• Shell

Copec

Copec sells only one type of Diesel named Diesel Ultra. According to the technical product information, the maximum sulfur content is 15 ppm. [2]

Some Copec gas stations are self-service and you can pay cash or by card.

Petrobras

Petrobras sells only one Diesel product which is called “Diesel”. The official Petrobras website confirms that since 2011, the maximum sulfur content has been reduced from 50 ppm to 15 ppm, allowing the usage of Euro 5 & and Euro 6 vehicles. [3]

Shell

Shell sells only one Diesel product called “Diesel Extra”.

AdBlue/DEF (Diesel exhaust fluid) in Chile

Now and then you will also need AdBlue/DEF. The most reliable source has been the Copec gas stations which are spread throughout Chile. Even in more remote places, there was AdBlue/DEF available. So finding DEF in Chile should not be an issue.

At Copec you can find the brand Bluemax, which is ISO 22241 certified. 10 liters will set you back around US $15.

If you want to plan ahead, you can use the official Copec website to find service stations that sell Bluemax.

This page is also useful in finding other services from Copec, such as a self-service car wash.

Now here is the money-saving tip: find a gas station with Bluemax pumps. This way you can fill up with DEF/AdBlue directly from the pump. You can find such gas stations along major highways that have separate pumps for Diesel trucks (typically Ruta 5 — Panamericana).

The price at the pump is about half of the bottled Bluemax, it is quicker to fill up and better for the environment as it does not generate additional trash.

Copec gas station in Chile with Bluemax pump.

Traveling around South America?

Check out the following field reports for these countries:

• Argentina
• Uruguay

References

[1] https://www.sustmob.org/PCFV/Maps/GlobalSulphurLevelinDiesel_January2024.pdf

[2] https://ww2.copec.cl/empresas/productos-y-servicios/productos/combustibles/diesel-ultra

[3] https://www.petrobrasdistribucion.cl/Productos/diesel/