Gas Prices - WTF?

originally posted by: Bigbrooklyn
Nyeta reply to: Fools

I guess something was deleted? no worries, I am on your side of that.

a reply to: Lumenari

with respect the cost of gas (along with other fuels) has NEVER been about "supply and demand".
it has been about what can they get away with along with a healthy "futures" market shenanigans.

lets look at some of the clearly BS tactics that prove that it isnt supply and demand.

one.. when you are in a high demand time you dont shut down your factory for "maintenance"
you schedule that for your "slow times" so you can take advantage of not having your product needed.
why do you think (ex) Chrysler in early part of the year shuts down for maintenance and sometimes retooling
because auto sales in winter and early spring are so slow.

two... how often have we heard about the "surplus" gas on the market. but when during that "surplus" time if there is say a "maintenance" being done or an "accident" at a refinery that "surplus" suddenly isnt important because we "have to raise prices due to refinery not working".
some will defend this as "well there isnt enough surplus to cover it"... REALLY?
I cant seem to find where (except in limited examples of say heating oil in dead of very bad unprecedented winter) they EVER RAN OUT.

three... they claim that the price of oil changes as it comes over the ocean (if imported) . Again SAY WHAT?
the only "oil" with technically no price is oil not already bought under contract hence the "futures" market .
that oil is under contract and already (per say) paid for . the price just doesn't mysteriously jump from pump to processing untill the contract is up.

four.. "we are short refineries"
that one is technically true and self inflicted... yes it is hard to build due to alot of environmental regulation and court challenge bullsnip.
HOWEVER it is hardly impossible and in fact when pat robertson tried back in oh the late 80s early 90s to open his own refinery to prove the manipulation/lies in CA guess what happened...
the OIL COMPANIES fought it tooth and nail with all their money and influence.

they "cant build new refineries" but then fight someone who tried?

five.. there are few if any independent gas stations anymore .
they may be "independently owned and operated" franchises...but the ACTUAL gas price is set "at corporate"

six.. while it may (key word may) be true they are not "conspiring" to fix the gas prices...what is true is they dont have to.
they know someone (seems they take turns) will raise them and then the rest follow suit.
even when one "lowers" the price notice all of them in an area seem to "lower" at same price?
maybe a penny less or more but practically the same?

you NEVER see one raise their price and the rest say "hell no " or any "gas wars" like the past now do you?

but one of the biggest proof is look at the US currently... we were EXPORTING gas for the first time in a long time
that means we were making more than we needed and could sell off the extra...

you know who also does that?

Saudi Arabia
there gas prices were so cheap it isnt even funny.

but here the price stayed high

the ONLY REASON it was so cheap is during the shutdown of the pandemic you could not trick your way to raise the prices because everyone was (for most part) staying home. From airlines, bus, and personal traffic..

now with a SMALL reopening gas prices have shot up like a rocket.
in IL in my area within 7 days almost a dollar...

the truth is oil companies have been screwing us for decades and are so embolden now that when (or if) there is a congressional investigation they dont even lower their prices for that (as in decades past).

scrounger

originally posted by: Lumenari
a reply to: network dude

Unless someone does a political hail Mary deal with OPEC and Russia, oil isn't going to get back up to profitable again ($50/bbl) till somewhere in 2027.

You're not going to see $3.50 a gallon gas for a long time.



ETA; if you do it isn't oil prices, it is your state boinking you taxwise.

except for proven increases due to taxes, i would not bet on your assesment.

all its gonna take is some "shutdown", some "hurricane" or the most obvious BS some threatened (not even something happening but a threat) action in the middle east
the last one is so laughable given we dont even (especially now) get any large amount of our oil from there.

they will find a way and dont care how laughable or easily disproved excuse they use

scrounger

originally posted by: RalagaNarHallas
i may be totally wrong on this but i thought the gas stations on average sold gas at the price they got it at until that was gone then refilled the tanks with the cheaper stuff (least in this case) gas was 1.23 at the town pump here last week, its now back up to about 1.50-1.99 depending on if its near a lake and the ethanol free stuff for boating (the gas station by my parents house is notorious for being like 60 cents higher then any other gas station for miles in marion)

edit to add cheapest gas i got on my recent road trip was 1.05 near ogden

sadly that isnt the truth (most if not all of the time) .

just watch (i have) your local station. notice how price goes up and down (sometimes weekly) and you dont see tanker truck one.

also look when a tanker truck is filling the station.
i have never seen the price suddenly change as they are pulling up/off loading.

scrounger

originally posted by: Gothmog
1) There are 2 grade of fuel oil. One released in the "slow" months , and the other (prime) released in the Spring.

2) With the "Great Lockdown" , they did not sell their "low grade" , and had a fire sale.

3) Now , they are releasing the "prime stuff" and prices are going back up .

Might be the best analysis in the thread!!

What do you think becomes of the stuff they didn't sell?