Yet another gas price thread

[Jarodaka]

Ever since I can remember, the prices for the different octanes of gas was spaced by 10 cents -- with occasional exceptions. From $0.89 to $2.89, it was always 10 cents more for mid-grade then 10 more for high grade gas. Now that gas starts about $2.99/gallon, why is it still only a 10 cents difference between octanes? I'd think at some point there would be a larger differentiation in price. Maybe 20 cents, 15 cents? Is my regular gas subsidizing higher octane gas? Is there some magic ingredient or process that keeps the price difference at only 10 cents? It's just... baffling.

</rant>

[Amerist]

Ever since I can remember, the prices for the different octanes of gas was spaced by 10 cents -- with occasional exceptions.  From $0.89 to $2.89, it was always 10 cents more for mid-grade then 10 more for high grade gas.  Now that gas starts about $2.99/gallon, why is it still only a 10 cents difference between octanes?  I'd think at some point there would be a larger differentiation in price.  Maybe 20 cents, 15 cents?  Is my regular gas subsidizing higher octane gas?  Is there some magic ingredient or process that keeps the price difference at only 10 cents?  It's just... baffling.

</rant>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the extra cost is based on refinement and really all that happened was the price-per-barrel went up, but refinement-per-barrel did not, then there's no need to increase the separation amount.

Plus, people expect it to be about 10¢ and well, rule #1, don't upset the customers. If they were to change the cost dispersion it might upset some people, or confuse them, or something, and it might change their profit margin. So it is in their best interest to keep the illusion of the status-quo when it comes to pricing.

[The_Dark]

Yeah, thats about right. Making the gasoline also makes the gases you need to make the higher octanes. So no exdtra cost there. The raw gas goes into the Alki unit and is recombind with the gasoline to change the molecular structure of the gasoline... giving you the higher octanes. Premium has an even higher cost than midgrade because it has addatives to clean your intake.

[Fierce Critter]

rule #1, don't upset the customers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This struck me as funny. Kinda hard to NOT be upset when just 3 years ago I was lamenting over how the corner gas station never came down from $1.30 a gallon...

[Lilith]

back when i started driving a hundred years ago gas cost $0.89 a gallon

Yeah its hard not to be pissed about gas prices in general, hell last night we got carry out and they forgot an item that cost $1.99 which we did not realize till after we got home, Mr. L did his usual "i will be right back" I was like forget it it would cost more in gas to get the item. Kinda fucked up if u think about it.

Its gas, we need it, they got us by the balls.

lilith

[Dollardave]

Its gas, we need it, they got us by the balls.

lilith

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

U got balls?

[JaneDead]

back when i started driving a hundred years ago gas cost $0.89 a gallon 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i just had this conversation with my husband. and he was like yeah well that was 14 years ago.

to me that is not that long ago when it has to deal with cars/gas/gas prices. and i sure as hell don't remember gas price spikes every summer. and now this time it is up and i can't really see it ever going back down to a "normal" price. lowest i have seen it in a long time was about 2.69 a gallon (maybe even 20 cents less than that. but not any lower than that)

[Lilith]

U got balls?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

more then some men i know :devil

lilith

[The_Dark]

If people really want the gas prices to drop.. talk to the people who wont let a new refinary be built anywhere. We have all the oil we need to drop the price. The problem is that we cant turn it into gasoline fast enough. We not only import crude oil, we import Gasoline. Why? Because as our demand has gone up over the years, our ability to create teh supply has not. A new refinary has not been built since the early 70's. Everytime one is proposed.. the tree hugging hippies and other envirmentalists come out of the wood work and join forces with Bob and Sally who dont want to loose thier view and get it stopped.

We have an Energy crisus and have had one for years. Everyone likes to bitch about it,b ut noone wants to do anythign about it. Many citys want to build Windmills to generate electrical power.. but noone wants to be able to see them.. so nothing gets built. It's stupid selfishness

[The_Dark]

As taken from a Fox News story:

26 countries in an international energy consortium will release more than 60 million barrels of crude oil and gasoline to relieve the energy crunch caused by Hurricane Katrina in the United States. The Bush administration will release 30 million barrels of crude oil from U.S. reserves.

The Internal Revenue Service acted Friday to expand the nationwide supply of diesel fuel by lifting some excise taxes.

[Shade Everdark]

If people really want the gas prices to drop.. talk to the people who wont let a new refinary be built anywhere. We have all the oil we need to drop the price. The problem is that we cant turn it into gasoline fast enough. We not only import crude oil, we import Gasoline. Why? Because as our demand has gone up over the years, our ability to create teh supply has not. A new refinary has not been built since the early 70's. Everytime one is proposed.. the tree hugging hippies and other envirmentalists come out of the wood work and join forces with Bob and Sally who dont want to loose thier view and get it stopped.

We have an Energy crisus and have had one for years. Everyone likes to bitch about it,b ut noone wants to do anythign about it. Many citys want to build Windmills to generate electrical power.. but noone wants to be able to see them.. so nothing gets built. It's stupid selfishness

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can't speak to the problem of refineries, since I've heard theories both that the environmentalists won't let anymore be built and that gas companies won't build anymore so that they can continue to gouge us, but as far as building windmills for electrical power go, I'm all for it, and frankly, I don't see what anyone could have a problem with there.

[Jarodaka]

...but as far as building windmills for electrical power go, I'm all for it, and frankly, I don't see what anyone could have a problem with there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Windmills for power? Don't you know? Now that it's economically feasible, the environmentalists are complaining that the gigantic windmills are killing birds.

[Amerist]

Windmills for power?  Don't you know?  Now that it's economically feasible, the environmentalists are complaining that the gigantic windmills are killing birds.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Err, wow, I had never heard that before... that's downright creepy. I don't remember these things spinning quite fast enough to mince flying birds and et cetera, nor were they quite high enough ... but ... if they're finding carcasses all over the ground around them, I'd say that's evidence.

Just, gee.

[Therapyfaild]

I can understand crude prices are something that very little can be done to change, it's primarily supply and demand. But I recall hearing for years nearly EVERY year that oil companies are enjoying record profits. Not just record sales, record revenues, etc, but PROFITS.

I understand as the driving consumer if crude prices are ungodly high I'm going to suffer and in some cases sacrifice.. But given just how high they are is it unreasonable to think the oil companies could perhaps accept a bit less profit for the good of everyone at the moment? I'm not sayign they should LOSE money, but they could skip the record setting for the time being.

[The_Dark]

I have to agree.

[Onyx]

Friday at noon I had to run out to the bank at lunch and I noticed the gas station on the corner was at $3.33 a gallon (with hand-drawn 3s on the sign). I was at a quarter tank, didn't have time to stop anyway.

After work I went out again and he had dropped the price to $2.99 for regular. I filled up my tank. (Very thankful for my tiny Kia - only cost me $22 to fill it up the rest of the way).

That's quite a drop in a few hours. Wonder if he just couldn't sell it here at that price?

[The_Dark]

The sudden drop was because of steps the government had taken to lower the price. Certian taxes were lowered on a temp basis. Also, threats were made to look into price gauging. On top of that.. the Oil reserve was tapped, though in reality that has les to do with supply than psycology. Also, on that day, the oil consortiums freed up gasoline to only be sold and imported to the US. Along with other aid from countrys to help with our sudden drop in production.Hell, even a few countries that hate the US government lended a hand to help the US people.

[Reaper]

Yeah I am certainly sick and tired of the gouging that these companies have been doing. Remember back when the price of gas only went up .01-.03 cents at a time? Now they are going .50 cents and beyond. Every time that i hear there will be a gas walk-out, I follow through with it. You know, when you get your gas before the day that they want everyone to avoid getting gas? Unfortunately, there is not enough people to actually help follow through with this. This is commonly the damn SUV users. I remember seeing some people on the news who were filling up and the reporter asked, how can you afford to do this? All the replied with was, "We need it and we can't do a thing about it. So we sacrifice something and use that to fill up our tanks." BLAH!

As for the treehuggers, I'd like to see something of theirs taken away so their life is miserable. Why don't we send them back into time to the dinosaur age and let them live there like cavemen and fend for themselves. They wouldn't last a week without going hungry because they won't kill for food, nor would they last because they would get eaten.