Change In Gas Could Lead To Pumped-Up Prices

[CarlGlas]

Since this story aired last night I have seen the price of gasoline rise, in some places, as much as 18 cents a gallon.

My question is, what effect does this new ethanol mixture have to do with the price of Diesel? It's increased 15 cents
a gallon. Just a coincidence? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif


New Ethanol Mixture Eliminates Ingredient Known To Pollute Water

HOUSTON -- Filling up might not look or work any differently at the gas pumps but behind the scenes, some big changes are in the works to the gasoline that millions use to fuel their vehicles.
Click here for rest of story.

 

[Bird]

I had not seen that story, and haven't heard anything about changing the blend, but prices are definitely going up fast around here. I've been buying my gas lately at a Sam's Club which has usually been 3 to 12 cents a gallon cheaper than the other stations in the area, but not today. On 3/4/06, I paid $2.089 a gallon, on 3/8/09 (4 days later) I paid $2.219 a gallon, and today it was $2.509 at Sam's Club. We did notice a few stations on the north side of Dallas with signs still showing $2.359, but most of them were $2.499, with a couple at $2.399, and one at $2.519.

 

[NSBound]

Everyone will be feeling the pain, it seems, for awhile. Canadian east coast prices went up 3 cents a litre two days ago, and another 4 cents a litre today - total 7 cents a litre X 4 litres per US gallon = 28 cents a gallon increase!! One radio station was claiming this is an annual rite of spring for the oil companies, that gas prices ALWAYS rise in March-April - funny I just don't remember that!!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[CarlGlas]

Gasoline prices historically increase during Spring Break and usually decrease after Labor Day. However, hearing the logic of some, considering inflation, the price of fuel is still less per gallon today than it was in the 1980's. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Remember Black Monday ?

By the time I finally got my financial advisor on the phone I had lost $$$. Being the cool, calm, and collective guy he was, he told me to not worry because the loss was only on paper. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Reminds me of the definition of an Optimist.

An Optimist is a person who can tell you to cheer up, when everything is going THEIR way. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[UncleBuck01]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> U.S. crude supply climbs for a fifth week: Energy Dept </font> )</font> Full Story Crude Supplies

Are the oil companies exempt from the laws of Supply & Demand ????!!!! How with a straight face can the Oil Companies justify these latest price increases. Somehow greed and monopoly come to mind!!!!

Buck

 

[jimg]

I read a similar article exc it indicated that prices were increasing b/c of high demand and limited refining capacity. It seems that no new refineries have been built here for some time and demand has exceeded ability to supply. That said I know at least one oil company attempted to shutdown a profitable refinery (in CA). I believe the state stopped them...at least thats how the story goes. Also playing into this is the oil companies selling crude to other countries to keep prices high here. In other words sell it somewhere else so supply here appears smaller than it is.

 

[3RRL]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Reminds me of the definition of an Optimist.

An Optimist is a person who can tell you to cheer up, when everything is going THEIR way. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)</font>

Carl,
You remember Murphy's Law?....With MY luck I think Murphy is an optimist! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[UncleBuck01]

jimg

<font color="blue"> "limited refining capacity" </font>
Thats where monopoly comes into play. They try to blame strict regulations for the lack of refineries,but if they actually did build new refineries the cost of gas might go down.
Buck

 

[jimg]

Right...I think this is a shared problem by govt and oil companies. They can blame each other and so the problem never gets resolved.

 

[texbaylea]

There has not been a new refinery built in the last 25 years because of the NIMBY outlook. That is NOT IN MY BACK YARD. There is a group in Arizona that has been trying for more than 10 years to get permission to build a new, more efficient refinery. Pollution regulations and opposition by environmentalists have kept it blocked.

If the oil companies could build new refineries they would. A new refinery would be cheaper and more efficient than continued reworking of the existing ones.

Friend you know not whereof you speak.

Vernon

 

[UncleBuck01]

<font color="blue">" Friend you know not whereof you speak" </font>

TEXBAYLEA
I like the above quote you gave / to bad its not true

First, you would have to believe the oil industry version
to come to the conclusion it is ALL the "tree huggers" fault.
or
believe the tree huggers and blame those rich oil company exec's.
"Guess what" - the truth is somewhere in the middle

For example. From 1975 to 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received only one permit request for a new refinery. And in March, EPA approved Arizona Clean Fuels’ application for an air permit for a proposed refinery in Arizona. Also, during those years oil companies were applying for – and receiving – permits to modify and expand their existing refineries. Now do you blame the tree huggers for putting fear into the hearts of the oil industry or do you blame the oil companies FOR NOT EVEN TRYING

another example. A congressional investigation uncovered internal memos (those paper trails) written by the major oil companies operating in the U.S. talking about their successful strategies to maximize profits by forcing independent refineries out of business, resulting in tighter refinery capacity. From 1995-2002, 97% of the more than 920,000 barrels of oil per day of capacity that have been shut down were owned and operated by smaller, independent refiners. These were established refineries, they needed no "NEW PERMITS" to be built Were this capacity to be in operation today, refiners could have used it to fight these drastic price increases we get when the oil industry has a anxiety attack.
2000 Congressional hearings
I could go on and so could you with who to blame "QUOTES"
Like I said the truth is somewhere in the middle - nobody has clean hands in this one

Buck

 

[Joe1]

A while back, when the fuel companies serving California started oxygenating gas, mandated by CA EPA people gasoline went up 30 cents per gallon and so did diesel. Diesel wasn't touched.

During the 70's so called energy crisis, I could see fuel tankers anchored off Long Beach, CA hull down, meaning they were full. You couldn't buy gas at any price at the pump, and they couldn't unload the gasoline they had on board because the storage tanks at the docks were full of gasoline. The oil companies wouldn't truck gas to the stations so they could gouge the customers and get their prices up. It cost something like $3,000.00 a day to have that ship sit idle with a full crew a few miles off shore. It was worth it, for the oil companies in the long run.

The record profits the oil companies made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina shows their greed.

 

[Fungus]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( During the 70's so called energy crisis …)</font>

I remember those days. I was doing odd jobs while going to college one that was steaming cleaning oil tanks - those zillion gallons ones in Huntington/Long Beach.

They were draining all the oil tanks and cleaning them out in order to store all the excess gasoline. There was gasoline everywhere except the stations!