Massachusetts Firm Acquires Fuels Analysis

A Newton, Mass., company said Wednesday that it has bought Fuels Analysis Corp., which makes equipment for testing the composition of gasoline.

Boston Advanced Technologies Inc. said it paid about $1 million in cash and stock for Fuels Analysis.

Boston Advanced makes equipment for testing fuels too, but sells mostly to service stations. Fuels Analysis, based in Santa Ana, sells mostly to refineries, so the purchase opens new markets for Boston Advanced.

Both companies make electronic equipment that measures the composition of gasoline by analyzing reflected light.

The acquisition makes Boston Advanced a “leading force” in that business, the company said. It had sales last year of $500,000. Both companies are private.

The company said the federal Clean Air Act, which requires cleaner-burning gas in cities with the dirtiest air, is expected to boost sales of the testing equipment.