Gas Prices: Who's to Blame?

[Shawnee123]

Oh, I know. It's (almost) summer! People drive more. Time to raise prices.

Even my brother, he of the big-wigginess, says things like "well, you gotta buy gas anyway, what diff does it make if it's 2 dollars or 5 dollars?"

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Shawnee123]

I am sure I just don't understand some simple concept, but don't the laws of supply and demand dictate prices would be lower when buying was up?

It's a big screw, if'n you ask me, but we have to buy gas.

[xoxoxoBruce]

This winter they closed down a shitload of refineries, so as demand goes up the supply will struggle to catch up.

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

This winter they closed down a shitload of refineries, so as demand goes up the supply will struggle to catch up.

Refineries were never the bottleneck. If refinery shortage existed, then refineries would have been making massive profits. Refineries have been some of the least profitable parts of the gasoline supply chain.

Real problem has been gasoline prices too low. Especially because demand is so low due to a recession. To fix the real problem means oil prices should have been higher.

Someone just told me his Ford Focus gets 24 MPG. Any car not doing at least 30 MPG is a symptom of gasoline prices that have been too low for too long.

Surprising how many homes I saw only this past year with heated rooms - and no insulation in the attic. In at least one case, why did the homeowner not insulate last fall? Energy prices are too low. Insulating was too much work.

Complaints of gasoline at $3 a gallon is silly especially when the same complaints were back at $1.50 per gallon. Now $1.50 is a preferred price? What changed? Only emotions. Energy is still too cheap when facts replace that emotion.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by tw

Refineries were never the bottleneck...

Gutless politicians with itty-bitty balls to stand up to liberal opposition that prevent them from utilizing the resources in this country and off shore.

Why do we fight amongst our own people when all of us are dependent on arab oil? These arab countries would rather see us dead - after they rape us of all our economic resources.

[classicman]

At what price do you complain then?
A candy bar used to be a quarter, now they are over a dollar. What changed?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Refineries have never made massive profits, that's not where the profits are made in the chain, nor is trucking out to the dealers.
tw wants to use gas prices as a social restructuring tool, saying prices are too low.

2009 PROFITS
Exxon Mobil $45,220,000,000
Chevron $23,931,000,000
Occidental Petroleum $6,857,000,000

Hey, it was a slow year.

[piercehawkeye45]

As long as our consumption is as high as it is, we will be dependent on foreign countries for oil whether we drill in the US or not.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

As long as our consumption is as high as it is, we will be dependent on foreign countries for oil whether we drill in the US or not.

That's exactly what they want us to believe. People are afraid to upset the apple cart. Hell, we should be tipping the fucker over and making demands from the politicians we vote in office and if they don't comply - tar and feather their political ass and carry them on a spit, upside down and naked, past the capitol. They're supposed to have OUR needs in mind - not give BJ's to Green Peace activists.

Green Peace - May they all OD on THC.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by classicman

At what price do you complain then?
A candy bar used to be a quarter, now they are over a dollar. What changed?

The price. Duh!

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by Madman

Green Peace - May they all OD on THC.

Umm.....I hate to say it but....uhhhhh.....nevermind.

[Undertoad]

As long as our [oil] consumption is as high as it is, [and we are not counting shale oil reserves, or NatGas,] we will be dependent on foreign countries Canada and Mexico for oil whether we drill in the US or not.

Total proven US oil reserves (including offshore) - about 21 billion barrels

Total US consumption - 7 billion barrels/year.

Do the math.

Originally Posted by Madman

Gutless politicians with itty-bitty balls to stand up to liberal opposition that prevent them from utilizing the resources in this country and off shore..

If only we could convert all this "damn the environment...damn the liberals....drill, baby, drill" hot air into usable energy!

[Madman]

Originally Posted by Redux

Total proven US oil reserves (including offshore) - about 21 billion barrels

Total US consumption - 7 billion barrels/year.

Do the math.

Source? I've seen the same bullshit statistic.

We have the technology to produce shale oil. Which would give the USA more oil than the entire world combined. However, that's not practical at this moment in time. So let's look at what we really have that we can pump out of the ground...

http://www.resistnet.com/profiles/bl...ource=activity

There is more than one site and, for that matter, you could do a little further USGA reading to whet your appetite.

So... you do the math. Better yet... do a little research.

Maybe you should spend a little less time on a forum and more time in a library.

[Shawnee123]

If only we could convert all this "damn the environment...damn the liberals....drill, baby, drill" hot air into usable energy!