F'n gas prices!!!!!!!!!!

jdhdiggs

heiney9 wrote: »

Listening to the news this morning I heard Shell had a 14% increase in net profit compared to last quarter. To be fair the report stated that it wasn't all from higher pump prices but still.......

They just keep racking us over the coals on this issue :mad:

And their profit margin did what? If it stayed constant all they needed was to sell 14% more gas to get that 14% more net profit. The 14% is within the norm for the cyclical nature of O&G. They'll probably pull another 20% gain next quarter then go negative 15% and negative 10% (neither of which will be reported of course). This is why the news ONLY reports profit numbers and not margins.


You want to do something about it, make it OK to drill offshore in CA, FL, VA, and others, make it OK to drill in ANWR. Quit buying 12MPG cars and get hybrids. That's the ONLY control you have.

WilliamM2

You want to do something about it, make it OK to drill offshore in CA, FL, VA, and others, make it OK to drill in ANWR. Quit buying 12MPG cars and get hybrids. That's the ONLY control you have.

Although I think we should drill these areas so we are not as dependent on imported oil, it will not lower the cost one bit. We get imported oil cheaper than we can drill it ourselves.

As far as Hybrids, all that does is shift the source of energy, not reduce it at all.

hearingimpared

jdhdiggs wrote: »

Good God, now I see why you think this will do something to the oil companies. They won't give a rat's **** if everyone in the country skips a day. Why? because all those schmoe's who were going to fill up on Friday will wait 1 whole day and fill up on Saturday. Big oil still gets it's money one day later.

Lets say a gas station sells 70,000 gallons a week or 10,000 per day. Everyone does this crap, so instead of:
M-10,000 T-10,000 W- 10,000 R- 10,000 F-10,000 Sa-10,000 Su-10,000

You get:
M-10,000 T-10,000 W- 10,000 R- 12,000 F- 0 Sa-18,000 Su-10,000

Yup, you sure told them. The next day they'll do double business (I had some people fill up early so it's not exactly double) causing lines and PITA for the consumer. Good plan there champ. :rolleyes:

XSMI: Let's reverse the question, what is an appropriate profit margin for an oil company to make? 5%? 10%? 20%? If you look at XOM's top line, with refinining, leasing, gas station profits etc... they make a whopping $0.10 per $1 they take in. The $0.07/gallon is right as that's what goes back to the big oil for selling you the gas. The rest of the profit from local sales goes to the local operator. Compare that with any industry and you'll be shocked how little they actually make in regards to their revenue.

You forgot to add this one little point Bro.

The big resentment here seems to be that the big oil companies are making a profit off of something we absoltely need and how dare they. The thing to point out here is that they are only making <10% profit margin. They know they are the only game in town and COULD be making 5 to 10 times that amount in profit AND THEY ARE NOT!!! You have to give them credit too because oil was deregulated by the feds sometime in the 70s, I believe, so they could easily be gouging the **** out of us and are not!!! Like I said this is another example of American companys making good profits. . . that can be nothing but good for our country and our populous.

jdhdiggs

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Although I think we should drill these areas so we are not as dependent on imported oil, it will not lower the cost one bit. We get imported oil cheaper than we can drill it ourselves.

As far as Hybrids, all that does is shift the source of energy, not reduce it at all.

No, not really. Big oil and small oil have already found these prospects to be economically viable meaning they can get it out for less than they can sell it. If that were not the case, none of the oil companies would be requesting access to these areas.

Shiftiing the sources of energy, sure. From horribly ineffiecent personal automobiles to other, more effiecient sources. You will save energy in the conversion (waste).

Where did you get your information?

HI: No crap, how dare they make a profit! Those ****! Now excuse me while I go fill up my Excursion and my ridining lawnmower so these **** can rape me again....

(For those who don't know, this last section is dripping in ironic sarcasm.)

Actually, an oligopoly (which is big oil) is the MOST efficient means to get a needed product to a consumer at the best price, yet people still ****. If there was one producer, we'd be paying something like $10/gallon. If we had thousands of competitors, it would be around $5 until the big guys ate everyone making an oligolpoly again.

markmarc

Once again, drilling in the artic is worthless until refining capacity is added on the West Coast. We already ship excess Alaskan oil to Asia because of capacity problems.

Our best options involve increasing CAFE standards 1mpg each year. Move all passanger cars to hybrid, all trucks to flexfuel by 2012. The technology exists right now, it's just a matter of taking the bull by the horns.

Of course the oil companies will do everything possible to prevent this, as the current system is their gravy train, and they haven't invested properly in the future of bio energy.

jdhdiggs

Naw, big oil wants more refineries (more money faster), they just don't want to build at the top of a bubble (You don't drop tens of billions of $$$ if you don't know you can use it) nor do they want to cut through all the red tape the "eco" groups have put in their way (probably another $100 million in studies, lawsuits, etc... not to mention the estimated 10-20 years it takes to get approval to finally start building)

hearingimpared

markmarc wrote: »

Our best options involve increasing CAFE standards 1mpg each year. Move all passanger cars to hybrid, all trucks to flexfuel by 2012. The technology exists right now, it's just a matter of taking the bull by the horns.

The question is, are these hybrids what people want to drive. If I could afford to go out and buy and 1972 Buick Riviera and restore it, that is what I would be driving, it gets a whopping 8 miles to the gallon of premium gas on the highway. I really don't want to drive an ugly, slow, no power, car. Many U. S. citizens especially Texans LOL!!! feel the same way.

Whenever I drive to New Jersey I get a break in my gas prices. Other than that, well, I just spent $45 to fill my Tauras up. The $45 got me 459 miles this past week. I fill up every Wednesday at the Shell station cause Wednesday is five cents off a gallon day.

It is what it is.

MacLeod

markmarc wrote: »

Once again, drilling in the artic is worthless until refining capacity is added on the West Coast. We already ship excess Alaskan oil to Asia because of capacity problems.

Our best options involve increasing CAFE standards 1mpg each year. Move all passanger cars to hybrid, all trucks to flexfuel by 2012. The technology exists right now, it's just a matter of taking the bull by the horns.

Of course the oil companies will do everything possible to prevent this, as the current system is their gravy train, and they haven't invested properly in the future of bio energy.

This wouldnt do a thing. Cars getting low mileage is NOT the problem. Its a supply issue.

Youre right about refining problems tho. Because of the environmentalist wackos we havent built a new refinery in over 20 years! Too bad demand didnt stay at the level it was 20 years ago. So not only should we start drilling domestically but we also need to start building new refineries.

If Congress ok'd drilling in ANWR, the Gulf of Mexico and off the California coast, the price would start dropping almost overnight. It works every time its tried.

Reagan broke OPEC's back in the 80's by drilling the crap out of our domestic stock. If speculators all over the world hear that the US will soon have MILLIONS of barrels added to their supply, prices will imediately start dropping. And in a couple years when those millions of barrels hit the market place itll drop even further.

Its dirt simple. Demand is increasing in spades. Supply is not. Prices go way up. Economics 101. Increase supply, prices go down.

Another thing, auto gas is a MINORITY of what oil companies make money off of. They make a lot more money off of all the other things they use oil for worldwide. Increasing the fuel mileage of cars in the US wont amount to a drop in the bucket when it comes to the price of oil because the difference between 25 and 20 mpg is miniscule

PolkThug

Also keep in mind, these oil companies are publicly traded! Instead of just sitting back watching, you can take ownership and share the wealth. I do.

hearingimpared

PolkThug wrote: »

Also keep in mind, these oil companies are publicly traded! Instead of just sitting back watching, you can take ownership and share the wealth. I do.

Spoken like a true GOP conservative!

Serendipity

PolkThug wrote: »

Also keep in mind, these oil companies are publicly traded! Instead of just sitting back watching, you can take ownership and share the wealth. I do.

Oil stock is doing quite well these days...

heiney9

Jumped up again.

Yesterday in the afternoon dropped .05c

$3.05
$3.15
$3.25

Today after lunch increased .10c

$3.15
$3.25
$3.35

Ouchhhhhhhhhhhhh:mad:

bobman1235

Please, keep us all posted on every change, it's FASCINATING.

heiney9

bobman1235 wrote: »

Please, keep us all posted on every change, it's FASCINATING.

I'll take your remark as sarcasm and inform you if you don't like it don't read it. Pretty simple

H9

hearingimpared

heiney9 wrote: »

Jumped up again.

Yesterday in the afternoon dropped .05c

$3.05
$3.15
$3.25

Today after lunch increased .10c

$3.15
$3.25
$3.35

Ouchhhhhhhhhhhhh:mad:

Jeeezzz how can this be? The service station receives its gas for XX amount per gallon and charges XX + 6 cents/gal. Latter in the day or the next day they charge XX+16 cents. . . hmmmm sounds like the owner is trying to keep up with the Joneses.

It's funny I have a whole slew of service stations around my home. I have an Exxon (which used to be the cheapest around) up the street. Directly across the street is a Shell station. For the past two weeks the Exxon station has be 20 to 30 cents more per gallon than the Shell. This past week the Shell station has crept up in price to within 11 cents of the Exxon.

Now for the fun part, there is an Exxon station 1/4 mile away on the same road and is charging 20 cents less than both. However there is a Shell station 1 mile due North that is charging more than all of the others combined and then some.

Crazy crazy stuff, free enterprise can be. . . Yoda LOL!!!

bobman1235

The service station does not sell gas at x + 6 of what it bought it for, it sells gas for x + 6 of what it expects to buy it for next time it buys it. That's why prices can change three times in one day.

hearingimpared

bobman1235 wrote: »

The service station does not sell gas at x + 6 of what it bought it for, it sells gas for x + 6 of what it expects to buy it for next time it buys it. That's why prices can change three times in one day.

Right! That is what I meant when I said the owner is trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Early B.

Will this scheme work???

For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit......

Thanks.

bobman1235

Not that it MATTERS, because none of these boycotts / selective boycotts / gas-outs actually HAPPEN, so even if they did work you'd never get enough people to participate.

But even if you did - it's ****, just like all of this nonsense.

Early B.

bobman1235 wrote: »

Not that it MATTERS, because none of these boycotts / selective boycotts / gas-outs actually HAPPEN, so even if they did work you'd never get enough people to participate.

But even if you did - it's ****, just like all of this nonsense.

That link is what I was looking for. Thanks.

polkatese

I am just glad that I am not driving an expedition or a hummer.

Serendipity

Don't really want to complain, but damn!

Saw $3.59-$3.65/gal a few days ago...and prices keep going up.

I hope it's not going to be $4/gal anytime soon.

dudeinaroom

Kind of funny how the prices go. They have been between 3.50 and 3.60 here,if you travel 20 min. south it's a couple cents cheaper. If you travel north 20 min. it's usually 15-20 cents more, but ever since prices started going up it has been cheaper "up north" it has been 3.43 @ the wal-mart gas station,, and if you buy a gift card and use that in the pump it's 3 cents cheaper a gallon(don't throw that card away, you can put more money on it)

MacLeod

2.95 here. Was 3.02 a couple days ago.

dudeinaroom

got the wife and boys out for a bike ride yesterday, about an hour and half long, was real nice. I think when we need some thing from the store I'm just going to ride my bike(baby seat on the back should be able to fit a bag or 2). It's only about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile away and the exercise would not hurt all 200 n' some lbs. of me.

KG Audio

Pushing $4.00 hear in SD (no that's not South Dakota) and when I say pushing, I mean like $3.65 - $3.75 range. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Damn Exxon, Chevron, 7-11, etc., etc., etc. :mad: :mad: :mad:

KG

Refefer

It's time Gas Buddy becomes your friend.

Serendipity

dudeinaroom wrote: »

Kind of funny how the prices go. They have been between 3.50 and 3.60 here,if you travel 20 min. south it's a couple cents cheaper. If you travel north 20 min. it's usually 15-20 cents more, but ever since prices started going up it has been cheaper "up north" it has been 3.43 @ the wal-mart gas station,, and if you buy a gift card and use that in the pump it's 3 cents cheaper a gallon(don't throw that card away, you can put more money on it)

Same here. It's around 3.59 in Manhattan, but out of the city in some places it's between 3.65 and 3.79.

Nisqually Dave

Paid 2.81 at Safeway today, oh sorry guys that was diesel, I can remember when diesel was .50 more a gallon than gas last winter though.

Bill Ayotte

Down here gas is $2.89 and diesel is $2.59.....