Looks like it's going to be another great year for gas prices... If another hurricane slams us, it'll probably hit $5.00...
Link:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10533856/

 

gas was $2.04 in san francisco last week. yep. at the notoriously higher-than-the-rest shell at san jose & randall. yep. so close to going under $2.

 

New Years eve the price was $2.11, now its $2.36 and going up.

 

it's all a load of BS -- oil companies are still going to report record profits.

 

Funny how the prices dropped after the publicity about their profit. Now it is slowly inching back up bit by bit so people can get used to it.

 

It was at about $1.99 here for, oh a week or so and then overnight its up to 2.36 or so...crazy! RIGHT after I put my lift and tires on too...geez.

Fink

 

Guys - we don't have a whole lot of room to complain - how much is gas in Spain, Blizzard?

My guess is somewhere around $6/gal...

(BTW - I sell steel to the guys making pipe for oilfields, so I have greatly enhance job security when they are making money...LOL)

 

yes we do, people in spain don't typically commute 30 miles to work. not to mention this isn't something they've been hit with over the course of under a year, they've probably had high prices for a LONG time now. not to mention that it's mostly tax in europe.

 

Uh, you guys realize that inflation adjusted we'd have to be around $3.50/gal. to pass the previous record set during the early 80's? Not that I've any interest in setting a new record, but prices in general as measured by CPI are trending deflationary and cost of home ownership as % of income is more reasonable than it's been in over a generation.

Still, yes I'm ready with my 2006 Prius that not only gets mid-50 mpg, but under the new Energy Act gets $4,750 in direct tax credits and resale is typically more than MSRP.

Edit: Had to toss in the greedy capitalist tax benefits.

 

I read that the price drop was primarily due to the EPA being ordered to drop regional formulation regs and revert to a standardized formula nationwide. That had the effect of allowing the refineries to produce more instead of something like 40+ specific blends that tied up capacity.

About profits, I'm guessing some of it had to do with their inventory accounting systems.

With our heavy dependence on unreliable foreign oil sources, refineries at capacity and production interrupted by damaged drilling platforms, it's amazing that we have a steady supply.

I could be wrong both ways, maybe someone from the oil patch can chime in.

 

Supply is not and has never been a problem. There have been 15 refinery closings in the last 20 years; refining is the problem. Yes, the 40+ blends are phenominally STUPID and should be reduced to three (even two). Katrina had no impact on the supply, BTW - I have a good friend in oil who has taught me a lot about the supply chain for Big Erl... there's PLENTY of supply. PLENTY!

And... I'm soooooooo incredibly tired of the inflation comments... That's an excuse that people use to distract people from the real problem; a system that has allowed a few companies to exploit a captive audience w/ a constant (by design) demand.

I hardly drive (walk to work), but between fuel, nat. gas, electric and other insane increases in the last couple of years, poeple are really, REALLY feeling the pain. And few of them can afford to buy a brand new vehicle payment to save $100/month in gas...

 

You cannot compare US gas prices to European gas prices. A HUGE percentage of their gas price si tax, as much as 50% in some countries. That's how they pay for universal healthcare and other social programs that Americans still pay for out of pocket.

apples and oranges

 

2.30 in boston and 2.50 in albany... disgusting

 

I just paid $1.96 in Springfield, (I bet Flamedx4 knows which gas station) it's still at $1.99 as of this morning in Junction City, (closer to me). But it IS heading up there.

 

The last name of the analyst in the article is an awesome last name.

 

Around $2.03 the other day at Safeway, and that was the high test stuff which I must run.

 

Last Friday am, $2.07 this morning after the Bengals lost, $2.49