The Price of Oil/Gas and why

Patman said:

What exactly is a load of crap? It would appear to me that you either didn't get the direction I was going with the post or you don't realize there are forces outside of the USA that control the prices of oil, ever hear of OPEC? I was specifically noting that the activity of this thread had slowed as the price of fuel became lower. Also I was pointing towards the poor management of the domestic auto makers since lower fuel costs will continue to let them try to sell the same things because the low fuel prices justify not making improvements to the product they offer. No in the sack together thoughts there, just maybe a reliance on lower pricing to justify not making a better product. Then again that's discussed in another thread on DRN.

Frankly I don't care how much "Exxon" or any of the other companies make because it is a free market and I totally understand, support, and participate in that method of economics.

Yippee for the 10% corn juice in the local fuel, doesn't make any difference to me one way or the other. I just noted that I hadn't read all the stickers on the pumps but that may have not been clear either. :laugh:

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BINGO!!!
I thinks it's important for us to look beyond the surface... we're SO focused on how much we're reliant on oil prices that it seems to me that we forget how much the "oil suppliers" are reliant on US! WE have control over this mess. Become fuel effective, focus on using less.......... OPEC needs us, they're in the palm of our hands.

yzguy15 said:

The load of crap (I think) is this sentence - Just when many will get comfortable with the lower prices the rug will be pulled out again to create turmoil (an bigger profits).

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Actually the way I see it companies like Exxon are for the most part at the mercy of the oil suppliers especially since efforts to drill on our own turf (or tundra) seem to be a big issue with some folks. So sure they make more but they also pay more for the product that they refine in to more than just gasoline, diesel & oil so the people jerking the rug are further up the food chain than even the mighty oil companies. How happy do you believe some folks on the other side of the world were when the price per barrel was $100 or more, a pretty nice profit for them compared to what they get at say $50. Until we take control of our use (ie. "needs") we will continue to be subject to the power of people that don't live here, don't pay taxes here and frankly don't care if it's us or another country that buys their oil.

Again the 10% in SOME fuels (not all have it) isn't going to make a significant impact on my life compared to the bigger picture. My truck is flex fuel, my chick car pulls 30MPG and our bikes run VP fuel from 5 gallon cans. Considering that water is an issue no matter if the 10% is there or not due to the combustion process it seems like a small issue in a very big ocean of a problem. Then again I generally prefer to fix the core problem then get distracted by the tiny problems along the way.

Here is just another axe in our backs, thank you the very few individuals called tree huggers. http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911, this was originally from 2005! If a western state secedes, it will have its own oil!