Oil surplus not helping gas prices?

[Capitol Shock II]

I filled my truck up with gas yesterday. Used my .02 discount at Dillon's and it still cost me $93.60! That is the most I've ever paid to fill my truck up. I think that I do relatively well but that event made me consider biking to work, etc. I can only imagine what it must be doing to others that are really trying to make ends meet each day?

I read and watch a lot of news but I haven't seen much if anything about this issue? Surely others are concerned about this?

I remember filling my semi up with diesel ten years ago for $150 bucks...I think two 40 gallon tanks. Geez!

[SubGod22]

Gas prices are ridiculous and even though I get good MPG, I worry about my budget. Especially with having to take classes at the West Campus. I'm a Butler County guy. That's added a lot of extra driving two nights a week. I already had to dip into savings this month as my paycheck has gotten smaller as my boss has trimmed my hours and I have to leave early a couple nights for that class in Maize. The upside is I should definitely lose some weight as I have to really be careful on how much I'm eating because I can't afford to eat out or buy a lot of groceries. I wish I were closer to graduation so I could move on to a bigger and better job.

[WuDrWu]

I don't think this gets near enough press. I know you regularly see "the price at the pump" on the news, but what affects the day to day of the average citizen more than the price of a gallon of gasoline? If the price of bread doubles, maybe you're out $7-$10 a month? You have to get to and from work...that means gas. Every day.

Hell, I have a fair amount of skin in the game of oil and gas and I BELIEVE the prices are too high. We have to put every single fiber of our existence into becoming energy independent, today. We have to bring to bear every asset we have to change the course. We have the resources, we have the ability, we just need the permission. You have no idea how much easier our lives will be at the (potential) cost of a couple of caribou. The costs to our way of life are too great to ignore this and subsidize the effing Volt.

Get a clue folks. Or don't and watch me laugh all the way to bank at $140/barrel.

[ShockTalk]

I filled my truck up with gas yesterday. Used my .02 discount at Dillon's and it still cost me $93.60! That is the most I've ever paid to fill my truck up. I think that I do relatively well but that event made me consider biking to work, etc. I can only imagine what it must be doing to others that are really trying to make ends meet each day?

I read and watch a lot of news but I haven't seen much if anything about this issue? Surely others are concerned about this?

I remember filling my semi up with diesel ten years ago for $150 bucks...I think two 40 gallon tanks. Geez!

Careful!!! You could be calling up the wrath of Wu du Nerd with this thread. :highly_amused:

Once again, I've found gasoline prices in Wichita to be higher than the norm to areas I travel frequently. Wichita had the highest price per gallon (basically $3.72) when we left for Colorado and again we we returned (normally $3.79). We never paid more than $3.69 anywhere and than was in Hays, KS, going and coming back. Colorado, which I've found to always be higher than Wichita, by a fair margin, was not. We were in the Loveland, Ft Collins, and Estes Park areas. For the week we were in Estes Park, the price was $3.59 on the main drag. Fairly amazing for a somewhat isolated resort area.

[ShockTalk]

I don't think this gets near enough press. I know you regularly see "the price at the pump" on the news, but what affects the day to day of the average citizen more than the price of a gallon of gasoline? If the price of bread doubles, maybe you're out $7-$10 a month? You have to get to and from work...that means gas. Every day.

Hell, I have a fair amount of skin in the game of oil and gas and I BELIEVE the prices are too high. We have to put every single fiber of our existence into becoming energy independent, today. We have to bring to bear every asset we have to change the course. We have the resources, we have the ability, we just need the permission. You have no idea how much easier our lives will be at the (potential) cost of a couple of caribou. The costs to our way of life are too great to ignore this and subsidize the effing Volt.

Get a clue folks. Or don't and watch me laugh all the way to bank at $140/barrel.

Agreed, and loved the zinger.

[shockmonster]

We can't become energy independent if we stay with oil based gasoline. Because of the severe world wide hunger for oil/gas, our companies will just sell what we produce to China, India, etc. and the price will go up. The only to become totally energy independent is if we change to natural gas, etc.

[Capitol Shock II]

I'm all for converting to natural gas. We have a ton of that at our house!

[Dan]

Nat gas is the answer, it's just a matter of time. The biggest issue isn't converting the cars over, it's the access to filling stations. They need to start installing natural gas pumps, which I'm told are quite costly and they need customers to justify the cost.

[1979Shocker]

When this thread was started 3 weeks ago the price of regular unleaded gasoline in Wichita was just under $3.60/gal. Now, 3 weeks later, it's down to $3.29/gal. It's been dropping at about the same rate as the price of crude oil.

Here is a chart showing the prices of regular gas and crude oil over the last month.

[WuDrWu]

Just imagine how quickly it will fall if and when we elect a different President.

[Aargh]

That crude oil price is what crude costs on the spot market. Those prices are driven by speculators, hedge fund traders, and markets in crude oil derivatives. Those markets, in turn, are largely controlled by the refining companies, which all seem to be reporting record profits. Those markets are mostly free of any government regulation.

Oil refining and distribution is clearly an oligopoly. There is nothing resembling a free market operating in those areas.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Worried about gas prices? Simple, just stop using so much of the stuff... I average about 42mpg's in my car. I actually get excited to go to the gas station because so much time elapses between fillups. Gas would have to hit 5.00 or more before I would even notice. And even then I still might not. Gas prices effect on the transportation of commodities has been lessened due to the use increased use of trains instead of trucks.


T


...:cool:

[Kung Wu]

Worried about gas prices? Simple, just stop using so much of the stuff... I average about 42mpg's in my car. I actually get excited to go to the gas station because so much time elapses between fillups. Gas would have to hit 5.00 or more before I would even notice. And even then I still might not. Gas prices effect on the transportation of commodities has been lessened due to the use increased use of trains instead of trucks.


T


...:cool:

Hybrid?

[C0|dB|00ded]

Hybrid?

Not a hybrid. Just a brand new Ford with a 4 cylinder engine. Most of the new Fords except for a few high-performance models will get awesome fuel economy if you drive them reasonably.

I should add that I also fill up with non-ethanol gasoline at the Phillips at Kellogg and Greenwich. That gives me a few MPG's over corn-infused gasoline. I'm not a fan of ethanol.


T


...:cool:

[Ta Town Shocker]

Speaking of ethanol in gasoline I read an article the other day that stated some of the ethanol plants are being converted to produce butanol. It is more efficient than ethanol and can be blended at a higher percentage in gasoline plus it doesn't evaporate as easily.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/business/energy-environment/weighing-butanol-as-an-alternative-to-ethanol.html