$4 Gas...the hype is beginning.

[Mustang_Cougar]

Well, I don't know about elsewhere, but here it looks like the media-fueled speculation about $4 gas has started. A couple of local-yocal stations here in the greater-B'More area have run stories in the last few days citing "expert speculation" about gas reaching $4 by Labor Day. I guess we're being primed to feel relief that gas is "only" $3 now. Maybe picking up several cases of $.99 Heet is a pretty good idea...

 

[simple_gifts]

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=007842

 

[Colt]

I believe gas will hit $3 this summer but not $4. The ecomony would go down the tubes with $4 prices. Everything costs more with $4 gas. The republicans will do anything to stop a $4 cost. They know they'll be out of office in the next election witrh $4 gal gasoline costs..

 

[T-Keith]

The last two summers they speculated that gas was going to hit $5, so this doesn't sound too bad. If only the media wouldn't try to make it into a story all the time.

 

[ALS]

You are going to to start to see a drop in the price with in a few weeks. The refineries are doing a switch over to summer blends. Plus this is the time of the year that they do a lot of maintenance on the equipment. We also have a few refineries that are going to be coming back on line over the next few months that were damaged during the hurricanes of 2005. You can complain all you want about the price of gasoline but funny how the amount of miles driven seems to continue to go up as the price goes up. The price isn't effecting how much gas people are buying. The days of <$2 gas are over so get use to the higher cost.

 

[Titan]

I truly wish it surpasses 5.00 per gallon. Before anyone tries to pound me for saying that, remember that my WISH doesn't affect what actually occurs. IOW, I cannot affect what price gasoline hits by wishing it goes higher. But, if gas prices go high enough, demand will decrease due to several mechanisms, and less demand is good for a multitude of reasons. I realize it is a hardship for many, and could even cause a blip up in the currently very, very low employment rate. So be it....increases in the cost of gas would be well worth the increases in shipping and end product prices of almost everything found in stores in my view...but, I'm looking long-term, not tomorrow's nor next week's nor next month's struggles that it would certainly cause for many people. Five years out. Ten years out. 25 years out. As long as I'm wishing, ideally, this wished-for increase in price would happen gradually, so we could have time to adjust. But, we spoiled "Americans" (even the term shows how self-centered we are, ignoring Canadians, Central Americans and South Americans, etc.) will NOT give up our inexorible thirst for fuel so that we can instead have our dear SUV's and the like, unless it hits us in our bank accounts. Some of the results of much higher gas prices? Less pollution. Less money going to an area of the world that is populated with people that abhor our way of life (and, I have to agree with some of that abhoration, just not in the way they sometimes choose to express their disgust with us), smaller, more reasonably-sized vehicles. MORE WALKING and bicycle riding! If exercise were a prescription drug, it would be the most-prescribed medicine of all. Those that can see this line of thinking know where this discussion is leading, those that can't see it will not pause long enough to think of anything other than immediate effects. Sort of like our culture of immediate gratification. Remember, my wish has ZERO effect on what actually happens...temper your flames with that FACT.

 

[Spector]

can someone explain the formula for gas prices. Supposedly when crude oil price increases the raw product goes up and this is supposed to be a pass through cost, raw material cost up gas products up on the other end. Why then are companies making record profits, what am I missing in the formula that permits more then a pass through of the price increase of crude. The oil conmapnies should be breaking even on the price increase not making record profits. Can someone explain this????????????? Sure looks like gouging to me.

 

[rpn453]

Oil Company A is producing oil from Well A. Demand for oil goes up relative to supply and prices increase. Oil Company A's cost to continue producing oil from well A does not increase much so they make more money. Increased prices create economic justification for Oil Company A to drill Well B, at a higher cost, to meet demand.

 

[langow]

I truly wish that tree huggers would stop wishing for the destabilization of my country. Especially on an automotive forum. I didn't think I would have to listen that kind of dribble here. The effects of your wish coming true would be far worse than a slight blip up in the unemployement rate. Remember, my wish has ZERO effect on what actually happens...

 

[SpitfireS]

Overhere it's 1,40 Euro a liter (average) 1 gallon = 3.785 liter. 1 gallon = 5,299 Euro. 1 Euro = 1,18 USD. 1 gallon = 6,26 USD. What are you complaining about? Serious: when prices started to go up here years ago nobody stopped driving their car but everybody said: "When it gets up to 2,50 Guilders a liter I'm selling my car". Then the Euro came. 1 Euro = 2,20 Guilder. So now we are paying 1,40 x 2.20 = 3,08 Guilder a liter and nobody stopped driving their car but everbody is saying: "When it gets up to 2 Euro's a liter I'm selling my car" Yeah... right... No offence but I think it's only fair that country's that use (waste) a LOT of fuel pay more for it. It makes people more aware about what and how much they are using.

 

[Racerjk]

quote:

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Originally posted by Colt: The republicans will do anything to stop a $4 cost. They know they'll be out of office in the next election witrh $4 gal gasoline costs..

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JMO,but I think they're done for the next election because of the 3 buck a gallon gas.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

I truly wish it became patriotic again to conserve non-renewable resources so as to limit our dependence on hostile foreign nations like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria. Especially in an automotive forum. The long-term destabilizing effects of obtaining 30-45% of our petroleum from such places, not to mention the fact that China is doubling it's consumption every year, will have a huge effect on our manufacturing, on our unemployment rate, on our consumer prices, on our foreign policy, and on our ability to make the right moral choices. It'll have nothing to do with "tree huggers" or their nemesis, "ignorant SUV drivers." Remember, this isn't a wish...it's just a suggestion of what could actually happen.

 

[Bernard Feltzer]

The oil companies should be breaking even on the price increase not making record profits. Can someone explain this? Are you a communist? Nothing wrong with a company making profits. Maybe something is wrong with Americans, they are too lazy to get a second job, they are overweight and look like little flabby pigs. They are all drunks, dope addicts and ignorant. The best thing to do with a fat drunken pig is to serve it up for dinner to a hungry family of Arabs. Maybe if fat pigs drilled their own oil, they would lose some blubber.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

Wow. That's an interesting way to pigeonhole 300,000,000 people into a simple, cartoonish view. BTW: The vast majority of Arabs don't eat pork.

 

[Colt]

quote:

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Originally posted by Racerjk:

quote:

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Originally posted by Colt: The republicans will do anything to stop a $4 cost. They know they'll be out of office in the next election witrh $4 gal gasoline costs..

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JMO,but I think they're done for the next election because of the 3 buck a gallon gas.

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That's possible but $4 per gal guarantees it.

 

[m2200b]

IMO the price hike is due to higher costs of adding low power ethanyol. Since its percentage has been required inand the content ethanyol suppliers don't have the capacity so they are charging more. I'm guessing easier rules for import gas like post Katrina, a temporary rollback of ethanyol rules by the Republicans to try and keep gas low enough to be re-elected. But since regular is already $2.90 here I wish November were sooner .

 

[mikemc]

The media fueled panic over higher prices can actually cause the price to rise faster. I've seen it happen. Folks hear gas prices are going up so they rush out to fill up all their vehicles and gas cans. That causes gas stations to run out of gas quicker than the trucks can refill them and creates more demand, which in turn raises prices. Simple economics and self-fulfilling prophecy. We aren't so smart.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

quote:

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Originally posted by langow:

quote:

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truly wish it became patriotic again to conserve non-renewable resources so as to limit our dependence on hostile foreign nations like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria. Especially in an automotive forum.

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What does conserving have to do will "wishing" the price of gas would double? I have no problem with conserving. Also, I'm all for reducing our dependence on hostile foreign nations. We could do that by tapping into our own artic reserves, but of course you are not going to like that idea, are you?

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First off, I didn't say in my posts, nor do I wish, oil prices to go higher. I think you're confusing who posted what. Second, it would be better for America if we reduced our dependence on foreign oil producers by utilizing our own oil reserves AND made a conscious, social effort to conserve more oil. You strike me as the type that would be all for the former, but not too excited by the latter. Third, I have no problem with tapping Alaskan oil fields, but I don't live there and that should be the perogative of Alaskans. It's their land...not mine. Fourth, you don't have a clue about what you're talking about if you think I'm a "tree hugger." I'd like to see Americans conserve more oil and to see it as a patriotic endeavor that makes us stronger and more self-reliant. Unfortunately, the idea of saving has been twisted into an anti-Capitalist endeavor. Bring up the word "conservation" around certain types in this country and you get an ignorant earful about "Socialist/Communist/French/Tree Hugging/Spotted Owl/blah-blah-blah." In other words, you're just going to get the "elbows/********" opinion of somebody with a closed mind. Meanwhile, we're still reliant on a nutjob in Venezuela, Nigerians who want your bank account numbers, and a royal family in Saudi Arabia who can't control it's own country. PS: This thread ought to be locked. It's not what it started out to be...

 

[BUBBA0420]

Come on Guys Don't you remember what happend last year ??. They jack the prices way up in the spring than they drop it 20 cents a gallon and everybody is happy. Problem is there to stupid to remember there paying 50 cents a gallon more than they were last year at this time. The pricing is all fixed and the egg sucking republican oil money politicians let them get away with it. Remember this the next time you go to vote.

 

[langow]

quote:

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truly wish it became patriotic again to conserve non-renewable resources so as to limit our dependence on hostile foreign nations like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria. Especially in an automotive forum.

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What does conserving have to do will "wishing" the price of gas would double? I have no problem with conserving. Also, I'm all for reducing our dependence on hostile foreign nations. We could do that by tapping into our own artic reserves, but of course you are not going to like that idea, are you?