ARTCC RADAR CTLR TRIED TO DSND AN ACR B727 FOR TFC AT SAME ALT. THE B727 CAPT REFUSED THE DSCNT DUE TO FUEL CONSIDERATIONS. THE CTLR DECLARED THE B727 AN EMER AND TURNED HIM FOR TFC SEPARATION. THE TFC FOR THE B727 WAS AN ACR AT THE SAME ALT WHO HAD AN ENG FAILURE AND WAS DIVERTING TO MCI. THE RPTING B727 CAPT DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CTLR'S ACTIONS. THE SECOND ACR FLC HANDLED THEIR PROB IN PROPER FASHION AND THE CAPT (RPTR) OF THAT ACFT GAVE KUDOS TO ALL THE CREW MEMBERS.

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ACR X FLT FROM CVG-SFO; DEVIATING ALONGSIDE LINE OF TSTMS AT FL310. HAD BEEN SLOWED FROM MACH .82 TO MACH .78 FOR XING TFC AHEAD. SHORT TIME LATER WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT TO FL280. I ASKED WHY. AGAIN; GIVEN DSCNT TO FL280 FOR TFC. INFORMED CTLR WE WERE UNABLE TO DSND TO FL280 FOR OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS; SPECIFICALLY FUEL. WE WERE ALREADY 2000 LBS SHORT ON OUR FUEL BURN AND WERE STILL FALLING BEHIND. CTLR ASKED IF I WAS REFUSING AN ATC CLRNC AND I REPLIED YES; BUT WE WILL TAKE A TURN OFF COURSE; FOR THE SECOND TIME. CTLR THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND GAVE US A TURN 30 DEGS TO R; WHICH WE COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT HIM DECLARING AN EMER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 374138: WHILE CRUISING AT FL310 WE GOT AN ENG #1 LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT. WE FOLLOWED THE PROC/CHKLIST IN ADDRESSING THIS ABNORMALITY. THE ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL AND THE ENG #1 WAS PRODUCING NORMAL PWR. WITHIN SECONDS OF COMPLETING THE CHKLIST; ENG #1 LOST ALL PWR. WE THEN COMPLETED THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST WITH SHUTDOWN AND SECURED THE ENG. WE PROCEEDED TO DIVERT TO MKC AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH CFR STANDING BY. ALTHOUGH THE COCKPIT LOAD WAS VERY HVY WITH MULTIPLE CHKLISTS; CONTACTS; BRIEFINGS; CLRNCS; ETC; EACH CREW MEMBER ACCOMPLISHED THE DUTIES ASSIGNED TO THEM AND PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE BOTH BRIEFED AND COOPERATED FULLY WITH MY INSTRUCTIONS.