What happens to the status of neutralized gasoline while at sea?

When gasoline is neutralized, it undergoes a chemical process that renders it not usable for its intended purpose, which is as fuel. In maritime and military contexts, neutralized gasoline generally means that the substance has been treated to prevent its use as a combustible fuel, often due to safety concerns or regulatory compliance.

In the context of being at sea, a fuel's usability is crucial for operational effectiveness. When gasoline is neutralized, it essentially loses its effectiveness for powering engines or other equipment that rely on it. This means that vessels cannot use neutralized gasoline for fueling purposes, so its status is recorded as unusable while at sea.

The other choices suggest scenarios that don't align with the definition of neutralized gasoline. For example, options suggesting that it remains usable or can be transferred to another vessel would contradict the primary fact that once gasoline is neutralized, it is not fit for use. Additionally, the suggestion that it must be discarded reflects an action that may follow but doesn’t directly address the essential status of the gasoline itself while at sea, which is fundamentally that it is not usable.