Diesel Prices, here we go again

[Jakebud]

Why do we continue to discuss any "I won't buy fuel on such and such a day" crap. Sit and think for a moment just how silly that whole line of thought is. So, you don't buy fuel on 15 May, and shift your next fill up a day or so. What have you done, besides absolutely nothing. Oil prices reflect world demand, plain and simple, not the "big oil" some of us find it so easy to pick on. If we collectively reduce our demand, the price will fall. We as a country, and a planet, have not reduced demand, so we pay more for petroleum products. Simple enough.



SPIKE

 

[RGardner]

But has anyone been to a station that did not have fuel? The only true time that demand should increase price is when it exceeds demand. So far I have not seen anywhere that the amount of fuel is being limited. Inventories may not be as much as the experts think that they should be but we still have fuel and the prices are being artificially inflated.

 

[WDixon27]

just tanked up and cheep diesel is still 2. 699 but gas has dropped about a dime, expensive diesel runs in the 2. 80s

it's still running about . 30 cheeper then super or . 10-15 cheeper then regular here, 2. 699 seems to be the cheep diesel price in town

 

[amsoilman]

But has anyone been to a station that did not have fuel? The only true time that demand should increase price is when it exceeds demand. So far I have not seen anywhere that the amount of fuel is being limited. Inventories may not be as much as the experts think that they should be but we still have fuel and the prices are being artificially inflated.

I'm one that agrees with you! We have a local "Sinclair" station that advertises, "Our fuels are 100% American", as the "Crude" comes from Wyoming. That Sinclair station is ALWAYS higher than the Exxon/Mobil station across the street! In my mind the Sinclair fuels should be cheeper, as the crude is not coming from overseas.



Wayne

 

[BTowler]

Why do we continue to discuss any "I won't buy fuel on such and such a day" crap. Sit and think for a moment just how silly that whole line of thought is. So, you don't buy fuel on 15 May, and shift your next fill up a day or so. What have you done, besides absolutely nothing. Oil prices reflect world demand, plain and simple, not the "big oil" some of us find it so easy to pick on. If we collectively reduce our demand, the price will fall. We as a country, and a planet, have not reduced demand, so we pay more for petroleum products. Simple enough.



SPIKE

If you really believe that, explain the disparity in price from one place to another! If our current high prices are driven by world demand, then why aren't the prices similar all around the world? Demand has an effect on prices, but the current situation here is nothing more than "profit taking". I am not just spouting off, either, my family has been in the oil business for many years, I have seen both sides of the situation.

 

[Jakebud]

BTowler



There aren't many places in the world that pay less in fuel taxes than what we do here. Taxes, country by country, account for most of the difference in fuel prices around the globe. We as Americans have been spoiled by cheap fuel for so long that when the price does creep up, we scream bloody murder. You might want to consider, that prices at the pump today are actually cheaper than back in 1981 in current year dollars.



SPIKE

 

[RGardner]

I get tired of the current year dollar argument, lots of thing are cheaper in current year dollars than they were in 1981. That has nothing to do with the fact that we are being gouged. The refinery profits are up over 30% compared to last year! We as a people have been sold down the river by our politicians from local to federal governments! Spike explain the supply and demand to me, have you had trouble finding fuel? Do you know of anyone or any station that can't get all the fuel they want?

 

[Jakebud]

RGardner



In a micro economic sense, no, I have not personaly had any trouble finding fuel at any station. Then again, I don't really want to relive 1973 again either. I would hope that none of us has to wait in line for fuel to prove to you that it is completely plentiful. In case you hadn't noticed, we are not the only country that uses petroleum products. There are growing economies in China and India as a for instance that are experiencing virtually exponential growth, and with that growth comes increased demand for petroleum products. That increased demand is driving the prices we see at the pump. Lets go even smaller for a moment hear. Do you own a business or sell a product? If so, would you not want to make a profit, and a nice one, doing that? I know I would. Oil companies are no different. They are in business to make money, pure and simple. If you don't like the price of fuel, don't drive.



SPIKE

 

[Sled Dog]

RGardner



In a micro economic sense, no, I have not personaly had any trouble finding fuel at any station. Then again, I don't really want to relive 1973 again either. I would hope that none of us has to wait in line for fuel to prove to you that it is completely plentiful. In case you hadn't noticed, we are not the only country that uses petroleum products. There are growing economies in China and India as a for instance that are experiencing virtually exponential growth, and with that growth comes increased demand for petroleum products. That increased demand is driving the prices we see at the pump. Lets go even smaller for a moment hear. Do you own a business or sell a product? If so, would you not want to make a profit, and a nice one, doing that? I know I would. Oil companies are no different. They are in business to make money, pure and simple. If you don't like the price of fuel, don't drive.



SPIKE

China is NOT driving the price of oil, according to the Chinese. They have plenty of natural resources. Check that out yourself. Thats just another of the newer oil company LIES.

 

[catoiler]

Well around here they are greedy!!A mobile station by my house is 3. 25 and a mile away it is the cheapest in town at 3. 01. Me i'm goin for the . 24 savings!!

 

[RGardner]

Near where I live there was a fire at a refinery and overnight the price of fuel goes up 10 cents a gallon. The nearest delivery terminal from the refinery Never missed a beat! Not slow down in delivery of fuel at all. Another example, the Saudi's arrest 170 some people before they can damage the oil fields and the price of fuel goes up. I am telling you that the oil markets are being manipulated and we are the pawns!

 

[BTowler]

Spike, the oil companies are posting record profits and they say the only reason for that is because there are now more drivers on the road. So what they are telling us is the population has suddenly exploded overnight? I'll say it again, using the same formula that has been around for a long time, at current prices figuring the ratio of a gallon of gas to a gallon of crude the price per barrel right now should be about $100. 00! Where is it right now, around $64. 00? The oil companies are not making a respectable profit, I would not begrudge any compnay that, they are doing what is reffered to as "profit taking"! They are gouging on the price when the consumer can least afford the extra money. And, as I stated in an earlier post, ExxonMobile gives the departing CEO a retirement package, and I was later corrected, it was not 30 million, it was 30 BILLION! HMMMMM????? Little extreme, don't you think? So don't try and tell us that the poor little oil companies have nothing to do with the current prices! Yes they would be higher than normal, but nowhere near where they are now if they were doing business honestly.

 

[DogDiesel]

The "Who Cares Yet" is not there

I 95 Richmond to Fayetteville NC. Friday night (4 may), no patrols, and traffic was rolling 80-95 MPH. Trucks w/o speed controll were rolling 80-85MPH. 70% of traffic was rolling over 75MPH. I was getting passed like I was sitting still. The largest percentage of vehicles that were passing me would be averaging 12MPG or less at these speed. The trucks 4MPG or less. .

It was amazing the numer of Vans, excursons, Yukon and LARGE SUV rolling FAST!



The price of diesel has made me conserve, but that is not an universal idea yet. I still remember the Jimmy Carter years



I am driving the smallest vehicle with best MPG I have every trip.



Wayne

 

[richardcoxid]

I get a kick out of the “lets all not buy any fuel on xxx day” mentality. Every body will just buy fuel the day before or the day after, the net sold will be nearly the same.



If you want to see the price of fuel go down. EACH AND EVERYONE CUT YOUR CONSUMPTION BY 25%! (That includes the Fed Gov)



When you think of the THOUSANDS of oil wells pumping oil, the NUMBER of oil tankers WAITING to be loaded, the NUMBER in transit across the ocean (either full or empty), the number WAITING to be unloaded and the STORAGE FACILITIES FULL. Remember IDLE equipment time costs the companies money! Then and only then would the oil price IMMEDIATELY drop.



Just my thoughts

 

[BTowler]

Actually, the oil companies would lose millions each for a one day "no buy". While you are right, it is just being postponed, seeing a drop like that for the day might just put a little fear in them. They do track sales daily.

 

[Tractorat]

Gas oil and diesel today are a defacto utility. And until the people force our government to treat it like a utility, their profits and manipulation of the markets will just keep getting bigger and bigger until something breaks in a really big way.



We dont let the electric companies and water companies treat us like the gas companies do. And there is never an electricity or water shortage (well, maybe in the case of Enron, but those guys went to jail and Enron was take care of)

 

[Air Bulldog]

Tractotar

You are absolutely right. The control of basic needs should be not in the hands of the greedy. One day of not buying fuel won't hurt their bottom line but it will send a message that we are getting fed up and were paying attention. I applaud people that make their own bio diesel and embrace alternative energies. "Necessity is the mother of all invention" when I see fuel costs going up higher and higher it upsets me like the rest of you but I also see it as a good thing so that alternatives will look more inviting. I think in our hearts that we all know what's going on no matter what certain media tells us. Almost every day we all get little ways to bring about change don,t ignore em embrace them and act

As I and others on here have said the reason fuel cost is high is simple, because it can

 

[Tractorat]

DHofeldt

Boy, are you and I on the same page. Crude oil is actually going down, and it didnt get anywhere near its historical high. So they say that the problem is refining capacity. Well, we are now at hurricane Katrina levels when we lost ,what, 25% of the refineries going off-line ?



From they way our country is NOT reacting, I just have to make the observation that this is not the country of our forfathers. As far as alternate energies, (and of course we need them), Im afraid that control of them will be back in the hands of big oil, who has found out that they can ream us and we cant do anything about it.

Because our civilization just cant operate without oil and gas (any viable widespread alternative is at least DECADES away), there is just not anything that we as a society can do (one day of not buying fuel etc). We will just have to make up for it the next day. And even if we buy less fuel, they will jack up prices even more to keep profits where they are and higher. Nothing will be done until/unless something drastic happens. And I really dont expect that.

 

[Tractorat]

If everybody in America got a Shell credit card, and ran up a lot of gas charges for a month, and then nobody paid the bill, I wonder what would happen.

 

[duckcarvr]

not buying fuel for a day will have little effect but if we could get everyone to park for a day!! That wouild put millions of gallons in storage and back up the system. But maybe we dont have it too bad my son is stationed [A. F. ] in England. He pays $3. 28 on base but says its . 91P per liter off base. that is like $1. 80 US. He is about 2 hours north of London. In London fuel is about $6 US per gallon. A lot of countries are payng in the neighborhood of $6. 00 US. robert