Is up over 3.50 per gal due to refinery problems then why is diesel still expensive? I generally watch or listen to business news during the day. The big topic over the Memorial Day weekend was the price of gas at the pump. Oil representatives, stock analyzers and speculators are quick to point out that there have been several refinery maintenance problems that have driven the price up. With oil barrel prices falling isn’t it interesting that these issues always seem to occur around the holidays when most are traveling, and why is the price of a gal of diesel inflated over gas refinery issues?

I really don’t see much protest here in CA and the gas stations seem busier than ever. I plan on cutting down on consumption of diesel this summer, our usual long distance camping getaways will be replaced with destinations that are close to home. Any toughts?

sucks for you, I enjoy having diesel here at $2.63 and gas at $3.50...

2.77 last night, gas was 2.94. First time in a year or two that gas was more than #2. It always goes up around the holidays. I just put the card in and squeeze the trigger.

Diesel is $3.05/gal here, but why is diesel even up over say $2 per gal when oil is trading at relatively low prices? How can the oil industry claim the spike on refinery problems when diesel is refined in a different manner than gasoline?

You guys seem to be a little confused. The oil companies are not a public service. They are not there to help, be honest about problems or be logical. They are in the business of making money. They intend to maximize profit. The whole system is pretty much a monopoly and we need what they have.

Stop being confused. Why do their statements have to make sense? They will do what maximizes their profit.

Wetspirit

Because people are willing to pay $3+ per gallon. Think on their side of the equation. We yell at them for making record profits but why don't we yell at the kid on the corner selling lemonade at $1 per cup and he pays $10 for the stuff and it makes 20 cups? Just something to think about. That would be 100% profit. But since it effects everyone, and the wallets especially, we rant about the price about gas when we dont do a lot to curb that appetite. Looks like good AMERICAN business to me, not Communist controlled price fixing.

Jon

Funniest thing I heard was some guy complaining about the price of fuel at the pump, meanwhile he is drinking a 16oz bottled water that was probably $1.25 [laugh] uh heard of a faucet? [laugh]

Love my little VW Turbodirect injection. 35-37 in town with automatic and A/C on. 43.9mpg @80 mph with A/C on too. Sticks get over 50mpg. Like someone said, they have it, we want it,---- BOHICA---- ( Bend over, here it comes again).

gotta love good ole #2.
i paid 2.84 last night.

$2.79 last night in Wyoming and $2.85 in Montana this morning. MT should be selling for $3.03 on account of their higher fuel taxes, but that's not the case. They're on the pipeline and we're not.

Its OUR fault that the price is where it is. WE pay the price so the oil companys are happy to charge it. If WE walked for a few days(everyone), the price would fall like a rock. If WE are willing to pay 1.29 for a 16 ounce bottle of water do you think Coke will sell it for .50? I don't think so Tim.

Forget the price of a coke.
I was sitting at a stoplight next to a Starbuck's and thought, "No wonder people won't slow down with gas at $3/gallon, they're willing to pay $5-6 for a dang cup of coffee."
I don't know of any refineries in my area ( and I know people that work at them all) running full capacity. I was told at one, they were running 50%, and making the same profit they were 2 years ago running 100%.
Bottom line, they have no reason to up production and increase supply.

$2.79 last night in Wyoming and $2.85 in Montana this morning. MT should be selling for $3.03 on account of their higher fuel taxes, but that's not the case. They're on the pipeline and we're not.

what city are you by?

Funniest thing I heard was some guy complaining about the price of fuel at the pump, meanwhile he is drinking a 16oz bottled water that was probably $1.25 [laugh] uh heard of a faucet? [laugh]

God if that aint the truth [laugh] you can spend over 2.00 on water thats less than a gallon:confused: but if you buy a gallon jug its 99 cents? Who's making more mobil or bottled water companies [coffee]

The thing that makes me mad the most is when we had all those hurricanes a couple years ago and there were many refineries completely shut down the prices were not this high. [verymad] So for them to say they are having problems in the repairs is BS. Like said before, they charge it and we pay it.

I just heard the other day that Exxon had $9 billion in profits the last quarter. [duhhh]

Forget the price of a coke.
I was sitting at a stoplight next to a Starbuck's and thought, "No wonder people won't slow down with gas at $3/gallon, they're willing to pay $5-6 for a dang cup of coffee."
I don't know of any refineries in my area ( and I know people that work at them all) running full capacity. I was told at one, they were running 50%, and making the same profit they were 2 years ago running 100%.
Bottom line, they have no reason to up production and increase supply.

Ain't that the sad truth but let farmers who need it raise prices and the world comes apart[verymad]

I saw an email the other day with a good idea.
Don't buy gas/diesel from only one major company, Exxon/Mobil. This would make them drop their prices to recoop sales, thus starting a price war. Good idea, but I don't think it will have the scope to make an impact. But, just for giggles, I won't buy from Exxon/Mobil stations and see what happens.

Most any "freemarket" solutions do not work in an economy that is artificially controlled , manipulated , monopolized .
Thats what the law is for , but they sold out also .
" Tea Party "

I saw an email the other day with a good idea.
Don't buy gas/diesel from only one major company, Exxon/Mobil. This would make them drop their prices to recoop sales, thus starting a price war. Good idea, but I don't think it will have the scope to make an impact. But, just for giggles, I won't buy from Exxon/Mobil stations and see what happens.

When I use to work at a Exxon gas station we got gas dilevered from Union oil, Chevron, Arco, Shell etc. They all trade gas with each other so your plan will not work at all as you never know who supplied the gas to where you buy it from. In my area all of the gas and diesel comes from the same tank farm and non of it comes from a major brand refinery. Chevron I think is the one place who does not bring in someone elses gas to their stations but it could of changed.

When I use to work at a Exxon gas station we got gas dilevered from Union oil, Chevron, Arco, Shell etc. They all trade gas with each other so your plan will not work at all as you never know who supplied the gas to where you buy it from. In my area all of the gas and diesel comes from the same tank farm and non of it comes from a major brand refinery. Chevron I think is the one place who does not bring in someone elses gas to their stations but it could of changed.

Same thing around here, from what I heard. Everyone buys from the tank farm (8,950 gallons) and then adds (50 gallons) of whatever their detergents are.