$1.059/L or converting to U.S. currency/volume about $3.35/U.S. gallon. Just about time to start looking at a Smart car or hybrid.
I was in Toronto, ON last week to conduct an audit and fuel hit $1.00/L during my stay.

I did not see one hybrid vehicle in Toronto and I was there for one week. I did see one Smart car. I had to take a photograph of it. I've included it.

I believe I drove around for about 500 Km all around Toronto and Hamilton.

Jaime

Updated
87 was at $2.55 in the Jasper, In area
87 was at $2.69 in the Bloomington, In area

I did not see one hybrid vehicle in Toronto and I was there for one week. I did see one Smart car. I had to take a photograph of it. I've included it.

Really?...I see at least one or two Smart Cars every day. I also see a couple of hybrids on my commute each morning. (Sad how you get to recognize licence plates after a while..."hey, there's ASTW 458 again!".)

~$2.69/gal for 87 octane around Louisville, KY. Pretty depressing. My GMC truck seems to be getting thirstier every week. Almost makes the thought of going to the Proctologist more enjoyable than going to the gas station! :ca:

In Central New York the cost is about 1.81-1.85 for the cheap stuff and I am doing 130 miles round trip a day for work which is about $55-$60 bannas a weeks for gas.


Not bad, here we are about 1 1/2 years later and gas is 2.61, well that may change before I submit this post. :lmao: The one good thing is now I only drive about 18 miles round trip a day.

Around here (in the South actually) you can get gas for free with a "Red-Neck credit card" (5' piece of garden hose) :lmao:

Apparently it's starting to be a problem in some places. :mad:

Around here (in the South actually) you can get gas for free with a "Red-Neck credit card" (5' piece of garden hose) :lmao:

Apparently it's starting to be a problem in some places. :mad:

Good one Randy,

We are currently paying AUD$1.14 per litre and that is with an 8c discount from the state government.

We are currently paying AUD$1.14 per litre and that is with an 8c discount from the state government.Discount??? Oh brother... How about this then: Roughly 70% of the petrol price is... You guessed it: TAX! That amounts to about 4.20 USD/ gallon in tax.

Ouch!:mg:

/Claes

Really?...I see at least one or two Smart Cars every day. I also see a couple of hybrids on my commute each morning. (Sad how you get to recognize licence plates after a while..."hey, there's ASTW 458 again!".)
I was expecting to see more hybrids while in Ontario. I was disappointed. I see them all the time here in the southern US where I live. The Scions are very popular. I see them all the time. I have seen many hybrid Accords as well.

I was shocked to find out that in Ontario 40% of the fuel price is tax alone.

Jaime

Here in Portugal:
95 Octanes - 1,25 €/Litre
Diesel - 1,00 €/Litre

And rising up almost everyday... :mad:


And Claes here tax on petrol are almost over 80% of final price...

I was expecting to see more hybrids while in Ontario. I was disappointed. I see them all the time here in the southern US where I live. The Scions are very popular. I see them all the time. I have seen many hybrid Accords as well.

I was shocked to find out that in Ontario 40% of the fuel price is tax alone.

Jaime


Hmmm. Maybe it's climate. I don't know. I have yet to see a SmartCar on the road in the winter, that's for sure...they're small enough and light enough that they'd probably wind up in the ditch in 30 seconds flat.

$2.37/gallon for 85 octane in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2.52 in Maine

Doesn't make sense to me.

$2.75 and still going up. They want the price of a barrel of crude to go for $100.00. That means here in the states it will cost $4.50 to $5.00 a gallon.

How about this then: Roughly 70% of the petrol price is... You guessed it: TAX! /Claes

Something that I have never really understood about petrol prices is:

Companies like Shell & BP get the oil out of the ground, refine it, transport it to the petrol stations and then sell it, all using their own resources. Yet when the price of a barrell of oil rises, they turn round and put the price of their petrol up - Why? Surely they are not buying it from anybody as they get it out of the ground themselves???

Something that I have never really understood about petrol prices is:

Companies like Shell & BP get the oil out of the ground, refine it, transport it to the petrol stations and then sell it, all using their own resources. Yet when the price of a barrell of oil rises, they turn round and put the price of their petrol up - Why? Surely they are not buying it from anybody as they get it out of the ground themselves???
The term for the process is "mark to market." Conversely, if and when the world-wide price drops, the vertically integrated producers have to drop their prices, too. Usually, the only variation is at individual retail outlets which usually sell at a combination of cost (rent and labor besides pure fuel cost) and what the market will bear in their narrow neighborhood.

Speaking of which individual variation, my conspiracy theories leaped to the fore this past week when every single station in my two-town market sold regular unleaded for the same price for 3 days ($2.79!)

This morning was the first variation I've seen - one station went to $2.89!

What really gets me is when you drive by the gas station on the way home from work and gas is 2.49/gallon, the next morning it is 2.53/gallon and then on the way home from work it is 2.57/gallon. It went up .08/per gallon in less than 24 hours.

What really gets me is when you drive by the gas station on the way home from work and gas is 2.49/gallon, the next morning it is 2.53/gallon and then on the way home from work it is 2.57/gallon. It went up .08/per gallon in less than 24 hours.

Aaron, last Friday I knew I needed gas but didn't feel like pumping on the way into work, so I drove right past the gas station - regular was 2.33

Nine hours later when I left for the day, I went to the same gas station to fill up - regular was up to 2.49!

Being too lazy in the AM to pump my gas ended up costing me $2. :mad:

I stay in scotland.
You guys in the states have it easy....
I pay around £0.90 a litre.....so at 5 litres = 1.1 gallons that means a gallon of unleaded fuel cost approx £4.09 a gallon....that would be approximately £1=$1.79.....that would mean i'm paying $7.30.....Scary ain't it

I just filled up this AM

OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH

I still can not sit down

$3.17 a gallon for Premium

The wifey's Hybrid looks a lot more comfortable every day....

I filled up this morning at 99.3 cents/litre...that's $3.75CAD/gal (or about $3USD/gal).

87 octane was $2.59 this morning near Toledo.

In Europe we only have 95 and 98 octane...
How can a car work with 87 octane? :rolleyes:

In Europe we only have 95 and 98 octane...
How can a car work with 87 octane? :rolleyes:
Beats me. Maybe I am mistaken. :confused:

In Europe we only have 95 and 98 octane...
How can a car work with 87 octane? :rolleyes:


Maybe someone else can give a better answer, but I believe that the calculation is regulated by the respective governments. I seem to remember that it was changed in the U.S. as leaded gas was phased out(?).

Octane numbers in the U.S. are of two types, Research Octane Number and Motor Octane Number. The number usually report at the pump is the average of the two, (R+M)/2. The research number is higher than the motor number for a given gasoline.

A misconception is that higher octane is more powerful gas. This is not true. The higher octane means that an engine running it will be less likely to knock. Knocking is an autoignition, similar to the way a diesel engine runs, based on the pressure and temperature in the combustion chamber.

Race cars often have a higher compression ratio, so they require a higher octane gasoline to prevent knocking or pre-ignition.

Many cars in the U.S. today are built with a lower compression engine, for example 8:1 or 8.5:1 compression. For this reason and because the ignition systems have improved, there is better control of when the spark occurs, the engines can run on a lower octane.

I don't which octane numbers are reported in Europe, but it is quite possible that they report the Research numbers on the gas pumps.

Wes R.

I have a friend that works in the portuguese Oil company that says this:
The best business activity in the world is an Oil Company well managed.
The second best business activity in the world is an Oil Company badly managed... :lol:

This chart is from CNN's web site April 7, 2005. Gasoline prices around the world, are expressed in US dollars per gallon. Although it is a little old, at least it provides a relative indication of how prices differ world wide. It would have been useful for the amount in gasoline taxes to have been shown with the price.

Bill Pflanz

Netherlands Amsterdam $6.48
Norway Oslo $6.27
Italy Milan $5.96
Denmark Copenhagen $5.93
Belgium Brussels $5.91
Sweden Stockholm $5.80
United Kingdom London $5.79
Germany Frankfurt $5.57
France Paris $5.54
Portugal Lisbon $5.35
Hungary Budapest $4.94
Luxembourg $4.82
Croatia Zagreb $4.81
Ireland Dublin $4.78
Switzerland Geneva $4.74
Spain Madrid $4.55
Japan Tokyo $4.24
Czech Republic Prague $4.19
Romania Bucharest $4.09
Andorra $4.08
Canada $3.89
Estonia Tallinn $3.62
Bulgaria Sofia $3.52
Brazil Brasilia $3.12
Cuba Havana $3.03
Taiwan Taipei $2.84
Lebanon Beirut $2.63
South Africa Johannesburg $2.62
Nicaragua Managua $2.61
Panama Panama City $2.19
Russia Moscow $2.10
U.S.A. $2.34
Puerto Rico San Juan $1.74
Saudi Arabia Riyadh $0.91
Kuwait Kuwait City $0.78
Egypt Cairo $0.65
Nigeria Lagos $0.38
Venezuela Caracas $0.12

That's from 4 months ago. It would be neat to see a contemporary comparison chart.

Yeah - The tax part would be interesting.

Here is a list of state gasoline taxes that I found on the Internet. The Federal Tax of 18.4 cents per gallon is collected in all states in addition to any state or local taxes on gasoline sales so it would need to be added to each state tax. The data is from 2003 but is probably reasonably current since states do not raise taxes frequently.

What surprises me is the state tax rate for California. I have always assumed that prices were higher there due to taxes. Maybe someone from California could tell us if there is an additional local tax that is not shown here. Only six states had a higher rate than Ohio where I live.

Bill Pflanz

State Tax/Cents per gallon
Alabama 18
Alaska 8
Arizona 18
Arkansas 21.5
California 18
Colorado 22
Connecticut 25
Delaware 23
Dist. of Columbia 20
Florida 14.3
Georgia 7.5
Hawaii 16
Idaho 25
Illinois 19
Indiana 18
Iowa 20.5
Kansas 24
Kentucky 15
Louisiana 20
Maine 25.2
Maryland 23.5
Massachusetts 23.5
Michigan 19
Minnesota 20
Mississippi 18
Missouri 17
Montana 27.75
Nebraska 24.8
Nevada 23
New Hampshire 18
New Jersey 14.5
New Mexico 17
New York 33.55
North Carolina 24.6
North Dakota 21
Ohio 26
Oklahoma 16
Oregon 24
Pennsylvania 27.3
Rhode Island 30
South Carolina 16
South Dakota 22
Tennessee 20
Texas 20
Utah 24.5
Vermont 20
Virginia 17.5
Washington 28
West Virginia 20.5
Wisconsin 32.1
Wyoming 14
Federal Tax Rate 18.4

Source: American Petroleum Institute1/07/03

What surprises me is the state tax rate for California. I have always assumed that prices were higher there due to taxes. Maybe someone from California could tell us if there is an additional local tax that is not shown here. Only six states had a higher rate than Ohio where I live.

Bill Pflanz




Bill, I think some of the reason is the same reason that prices are higher in many cities. Many areas prescribe that a particular formulation be used. Not only does it make this non-commodity grade higher in price, I have heard it means we all pay a little more because of the logistics involved in making and storing these "boutique" grades of fuel.

The reason for this is air pollution, of course, but I have to wonder why they can't make just one special grade

The killer hiding in the details is a percentage sales tax for local collection plus cents per gallon taxes added by local governments.

In Chicago, Cook County and the City of Chicago both add a cents per gallon tax. Oddly, though, gasoline in Chicago can be cheaper on "some" days and at "some" stations than in a suburb in a collar county without the extra county and municipal tax.

Add to that the costs for "special formulations" to meet local air quality standards and you have a situation where some regions have a glut of gasoline ready to pump and others have a shortage.

I heard an item on a radio newscast that said (hard to believe) that there is a two week lag time before a price fluctuation in the wholesale price of oil results in a similar fluctuation in the retail price of gasoline. The source was a guy who is a spokesperson for one of those organizations that takes a poll of gasoline prices around the country on a daily basis. My perception is the price goes UP the same day as a rise in wholesale oil is announced, but doesn't DROP until two weeks after the wholesale price drops. I trust the source which says BOTH UP and DOWN are equally responsive, but I sure get a funny itch and tingle in the back of my neck when I see the price rise minutes after I hear the wholesale oil price rises.

Here's some fairly up-to-date info on retail gas pricing statistics (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp) from Uncle Sam.

Bill, I think some of the reason is the same reason that prices are higher in many cities. Many areas prescribe that a particular formulation be used. Not only does it make this non-commodity grade higher in price, I have heard it means we all pay a little more because of the logistics involved in making and storing these "boutique" grades of fuel.

The reason for this is air pollution, of course, but I have to wonder why they can't make just one special grade

The formulation for gasoline can be impacted not only by air pollution standards but by environmental factors such as seasonal temperatures and altitude. Refineries switch formulations by season and make it specifically for the region. A midwest refinery would not make gasoline for California since they have plenty of market area to service and would have to operate the refinery differently (and more expensively) to make their gasoline. There really is only three grades of gasoline for each region and storage is not an issue.

MTBE was supposed to be the savior of gasoline back in the 1990's. One of the primary components for making MTBE is methanol which comes from natural gas. Unfortunately it worked to reduce air pollution but it contaminated water if it got into it. Even without the water pollution problem, MTBE was becoming more expensive as natural gas prices tripled in the last 5 years or so.

More than likely the real reason for the higher cost in California is the lack of refinery capacity. Since they require special formulations, supply cannot be increased by bringing it in from other states and the current environmental laws probably make it difficult to add new capacity. Basically, supply and demand is determining the price in California. I just didn't realize how much impact that was having on their prices.

Bill Pflanz

Just paid $2.80 ($2.79.9) per gallon right outside of Vegas.....southern LV Blvd.....

Hershal

The wifey's Hybrid looks a lot more comfortable every day.... Yes, but would you want to drive it up the Sonora Pass and its 24% grade (as you come from the west)?

Hi you all :bigwave:

In the Netherlands we pay....
:2cents:
1,35 Euro/Liter for regular
1,09 Euro/Liter for Diesel

That is euh... :confused:
1,00 Euro = 1,22 USD :bonk:
3,785 Liter = 1,00 Gallon :mg:

That makes about:
6,23 USD/Gallon for regular
5,03 USD/Gallon for Diesel
:jawdrop: :blowup: :jawdrop: :blowup: :jawdrop: :blowup: :jawdrop:
AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaarrrgGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
:soap: :soap: :soap: :nono:
OUTRAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greetingz,
poor ol' me...

Hi you all :bigwave:

In the Netherlands we pay....
:2cents:
1,35 Euro/Liter for regular
1,09 Euro/Liter for Diesel

That makes about:
6,23 USD/Gallon for regular
5,03 USD/Gallon for Diesel


Goede dag, Jerome. Hoe gaat het ermee?

The chart from CNN's web site April 7, 2005 that I posted a couple of days ago showed Netherlands Amsterdam at $6.48/gallon. I don't believe it mentioned if it was an average of the grades was used but your current price seems to have dropped. Also how much of the price is taxes?

Vaarwel

Bill Pflanz

Hi Bill,

My price is from the north of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a bit more expencive.
Still, the prices are to cry for. The Dutch Goverment takes a lot of extra (special) taxes.
I belive the word is excise taxes...
I found a picture about how the price is build up in the Netherlands and rewrote some text in english.
Sit down before watching....
Good dutch by the way
(though vaarwel = farewell(?) --> never to be seen again...)
You might wanna try 'tot ziens' (goodbye) or 'met vriendelijke groeten' (with kind regards).

Jerome

We've got the lowest grade at $2.79 this morning - and it's going up again today. Wisconsin is also great for continuously adding more taxes to the gasoline. I've been thinking about moving over the border. Wisconsin is one of the highest taxed states in America. For what?

For what?Cheese and milk?? :rolleyes: :lmao:

We've got the lowest grade at $2.79 this morning - and it's going up again today. Wisconsin is also great for continuously adding more taxes to the gasoline. I've been thinking about moving over the border. Wisconsin is one of the highest taxed states in America. For what?
Our lowest grade (87 octane) was $2.49 this morning.

Good dutch by the way
(though vaarwel = farewell(?) --> never to be seen again...)
You might wanna try 'tot ziens' (goodbye) or 'met vriendelijke groeten' (with kind regards).

Jerome

Dank u. I will use your suggestions. I only learned enough Dutch to be polite or to ask basic questions on my three trips to Rotterdam. Nice country and very friendly to Americans.

If I read your chart correctly then that means two thirds of your price is taxes.

met vriendelijke groeten,

Bill Pflanz

Wisconsin is one of the highest taxed states in America. For what?

Trying living in New York!

New York wages are a LOT higher than ours, and yet our rates are always compared to yours for gas/electrical/etc.

Orange County, California, filled up this morning at 2.59 gal. and was happy to get such a price. Of course my smile faded when I read the great prices the rest of the U.S. is paying...

New York wages are a LOT higher than ours, and yet our rates are always compared to yours for gas/electrical/etc.

Maybe so, but I would dare to guess that real estate prices in NY are significantly higher, and that Wisconsin doesn't tax the crap out of everything the same way NY does.

Maybe so, but I would dare to guess that real estate prices in NY are significantly higher, and that Wisconsin doesn't tax the crap out of everything the same way NY does.
Here's some comparative info: Taxes by State (http://www.retirementliving.com/RLstate3.html). Scroll down the page for Wisconsin.

The question now is "What will we in USA be paying for gas after this hurricane hits the refineries today?". I guess most people will be seeing $3+ a gal. after this is over.

Mooser

The question now is "What will we in USA be paying for gas after this hurricane hits the refineries today?". I guess most people will be seeing $3+ a gal. after this is over.

Mooser

Media talking heads are priming our area for $3.00 a gallon. :eek:

One of our guys just said his aunt is in Las vegas and paid $3.25 today :eek:

In Ireland it's €1.12 per liter for 95 unleaded. That's €4.23 per Gallon which is $US 5.15 per gallon........ :mad:

In Italy this morning 95 unleaded topped 1.30€ per liter, i.e. 5.99 USD per gallon... :mg:

It shot up to $2.79 for 87 in southern Indiana. I was told yesterday that some oil analyst said that oil will be around $45 for a 55gal. drum by the end of next year. Keep fingers crossed. They tell you that most of the cost of oil is in the refinery process. My question is why is gas 38 cents a gallon in Iraq when supposedly they have no refineries? Any oil people in the cove??

It shot up to $2.79 for 87 in southern Indiana. I was told yesterday that some oil analyst said that oil will be around $45 for a 55gal. drum by the end of next year. Keep fingers crossed. They tell you that most of the cost of oil is in the refinery process. My question is why is gas 38 cents a gallon in Iraq when supposedly they have no refineries? Any oil people in the cove?? No refineries in Iraq? According to the Oil and Gas Journal, Iraq's refining capacity was 597,500 bbl/d as of January 1, 2005, compared to a nameplate capacity of 700,000 bbl/d. Overall, Iraq has eight refineries, none of which were damaged during the March-April 2003 war itself. The three largest refineries are the 310,000-bbl/d Baiji, 150,000-bbl/d Basra, and 110,000-bbl/d Doura plants.
The quote is from http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/iraq.html.

A good link. Click to home and it has alot of good info. I will try (time permitting) to use the % they give in cost to see where the price figures out.

Wisconsin - they raised to $3.00 for 87 because of Katrina, they claim. They plan on raising another $.30 right away once the effects of Katrina actually reach us. :nopity:

Oops - sorry - I take that back. One of our guys just came in screaming because he didn't fill his tank last night. It's $3.29 this morning.

Jumped overnight from 99 cents/litre to $1.20/litre.
Seriously starting to wonder if the 120km round-trip commute is worth my while.

$2.70 for 87 octane and rising higher every day. And we ain't seen nothing yet. Just trying to figure out now if my tank is half empty or half full. :rolleyes:

I was told yesterday that some oil analyst said that oil will be around $45 for a 55gal. drum by the end of next year. Keep fingers crossed. They tell you that most of the cost of oil is in the refinery process. My question is why is gas 38 cents a gallon in Iraq when supposedly they have no refineries? Any oil people in the cove??

I wouldn't pay much attention to an "oil analyst" who is quoting oil prices for a 55 gallon drum. Oil is priced by the barrel and by definition a barrel is equal to 42 gallons. The current price is around $70 per barrel which is obviously higher than the analyst's prediction.

I think you may have misquoted about the cost of oil when you were really talking about the cost of making gasoline. The cost of the crude oil is about 50% of the cost of gasoline. The cost of the refinery process is about 15% of the cost of gasoline. The rest is taxes, distribution costs and profit with takes being most of the rest.

Iraq has refineries but they were damaged partly by the war and partly by disrepair during the years of the trade embargo under Saddam Hussein. The cost of drilling for oil is expensive but the cost of operating a well once it has been drilled is minimal. In some oil producing countries, the crude oil cost portion of gasoline is priced at the drilling cost not the market price of crude oil. I have not seen any recent numbers but I would believe crude oil could be pumped out for a few dollars a barrel. If that is how Iraq is pricing crude oil internally (and I bet it is), they could easily have gasoline priced at 38 cents per gallon.

Bill Pflanz

I wouldn't pay much attention to an "oil analyst" who is quoting oil prices for a 55 gallon drum. Oil is priced by the barrel and by definition a barrel is equal to 42 gallons. The current price is around $70 per barrel which is obviously higher than the analyst's prediction.

I think you may have misquoted about the cost of oil when you were really talking about the cost of making gasoline. The cost of the crude oil is about 50% of the cost of gasoline. The cost of the refinery process is about 15% of the cost of gasoline. The rest is taxes, distribution costs and profit with takes being most of the rest.

Iraq has refineries but they were damaged partly by the war and partly by disrepair during the years of the trade embargo under Saddam Hussein. The cost of drilling for oil is expensive but the cost of operating a well once it has been drilled is minimal. In some oil producing countries, the crude oil cost portion of gasoline is priced at the drilling cost not the market price of crude oil. I have not seen any recent numbers but I would believe crude oil could be pumped out for a few dollars a barrel. If that is how Iraq is pricing crude oil internally (and I bet it is), they could easily have gasoline priced at 38 cents per gallon.

Bill Pflanz
Not only that, but there's also local supply and demand to consider. In Iraq, there are plentiful supplies, but relatively little demand, so prices should be lower (although how much lower can only be calculated by politicians and economists :eek: ).

$2.37/gallon for 85 octane in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This same location is $2.78/gallon today. 17% increase in a week.

I have cheaper options, luckily - paid $2.39/gallon at the Costco in Sandy, Utah yesterday morning.

2.99 for 87 in S Indiana. Report on local station that another 30 cent a gal. increase by next week. We had 3-4 stations that ran out of gas!!

:mad: Our prices went from $2.60 yesterday to $2.89 this morning.

$3.19 this morning in Flint Michigan. If said before I apologize, but how does releasing crude oil from our strategic reserve help if we have diminished refining capabilities?

Al...

$3.19 this morning in Flint Michigan. If said before I apologize, but how does releasing crude oil from our strategic reserve help if we have diminished refining capabilities?

Al...
The amount being pumped can't keep up with refining capacity, even though capacity might be diminished, i.e., the damage to pumping capability in the Gulf outweighs the damage to refining capabilities. In theory, of course. It's possible that release of reserves was politically motivated. Probably some combination of the two hypotheses is true.

Was actually cheaper here yesterday (2.44) than it was just before Katrina (2.55). I haven't seen the prices today, but I'm off to fill up my tank at lunch, hopefully before the prices spiral totally out of control.

Here goes nothing. :rolleyes:

The amount being pumped can't keep up with refining capacity, even though capacity might be diminished, i.e., the damage to pumping capability in the Gulf outweighs the damage to refining capabilities.

The bigger problem may be whether the ships bringing in offshore crude oil can offload their shipments. With the power outages and possible damages to the docks and pipeline pumping stations, the oil may just sit there. I have not heard of any barge traffic problems in moving oil up the Mississippi.

The oil companies probably did some advance planning before the hurricane to inventory oil or to get it from some other part of the U.S. rather than the Gulf Coast.

Bill Pflanz

I filled up earlier and it was @ 2.89 per gallon. A lot of the stores in our town and surrounding towns are running out of gas and don't know when they will get more.

I filled up earlier and it was @ 2.89 per gallon. A lot of the stores in our town and surrounding towns are running out of gas and don't know when they will get more.

That's why I went to get mine at lunchtime! I don't need to find myself stuck without enough gas to get to work tomorrow.

Prices jumped .35 to 2.79 since yesterday lunchtime. :mg:

Its $2.99 – $3.19 around Farmington hills, MI, :mg: almost 0.35 up in two days! :mg:

The following is an article from the Atlanta Journal & Constitution concerning gas prices in GA.

HURRICANE KATRINA
Gas pipelines down
Much higher prices, shortages possible

By STACY SHELTON (sshelton@ajc.com), MICHAEL E. KANELL (mkanell@ajc.com)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/31/05

Metro Atlanta drivers are facing the possibility of paying considerably more than $3 a gallon for gas by Labor Day — if they can get it at all.

The two pipelines that bring gasoline and jet fuel to the region are down — powerless to pump as Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on electrical infrastructure.



http://www.ajc.com/shared-local/images/1pix_trans.gif

The metro Atlanta region generally has about a 10-day supply of gasoline in inventory, said BP spokesman Michael Kumpf. The pipelines have been down for two days.

Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline Co., cut off from its suppliers on the Gulf Coast, is now pumping gas from huge storage tanks, many in Powder Springs. Whether electric power can be restored to the pipeline pumps before supplies run out is "the great uncertainty ... that hangs over all of us," said Daniel Moenter, a spokesman for Marathon Ashland Petroleum, a major supplier of metro Atlanta's fuel.

Some suppliers are rationing gasoline to retailers, so some stations may already be near empty.

With supplies uncertain, oil companies and larger wholesalers are ratcheting up prices, partly to slow demand. Some local wholesalers already are paying 65 to 80 cents per gallon more than they paid three days ago. That kind of price increase will hit the pumps within a few days.

On Monday, the scare talk was about prices hitting $3 a gallon at the pump. By Tuesday, that line had changed for the worse, said Tex Pitfield, president of Saraguay Petroleum Corp., which delivers gas to retailers.

"Depending on how much damage has actually taken place and the time involved in getting the infrastructure up and running, is $4 a gallon out of the question? Not necessarily," he said.

Peter Beutel, an oil analyst with Cameron Hanover, told The Associated Press: ''This is the big one. This is unmitigated bad news for consumers.''

It's unclear how soon the pipeline outages may affect operations at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Fuel suppliers and airlines have 22 storage tanks at the airport that hold up to 27.6 million gallons of fuel. At full capacity, that's enough for about 10 days of fuel at the airlines' recent daily consumption rate of 2.8 million gallons.

No information was immediately available on how much fuel remains in the tanks.

Gov. Sonny Perdue's office is aware of the situation and is meeting with Georgia's fuel suppliers.

"We know that they're on top of this issue, and they're assessing damage to their production and distribution process in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," said Heather Hedrick, Perdue's press secretary.

Hedrick said it's too early to say whether Georgians should be concerned.

"In order to answer that question fairly, the governor needs a full briefing from fuel suppliers in Georgia," she said. "We're waiting for that information now."

Metro Atlanta motorists already pay a little more for gas than those in surrounding states because of a clean-fuel requirements to reduce air pollution.

Perdue issued a statement Tuesday saying those requirements would be lifted temporarily to increase supplies and lower prices, once the pipelines are again operational.

Perdue's decision, which awaits approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, would affect 45 counties in and around metro Atlanta.

"The governor felt it was important to take some steps to help alleviate gas prices that have been increasing for weeks now," Hedrick said.

Lisa Ray, a spokeswoman with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, said the department is prepared to help deal with any gas shortages.

"We have talked to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and they said supplies are not a problem in Georgia at this time," Ray said.

GEMA is a coordinating agency for emergency support functions.

— Staff writers Carlos Campos and Russell Grantham contributed to this article.

"Supplies not a problem in Georgia"? Well, that's good to hear. That must mean that the owners of the three filling stations that closed in town this morning, saying they ran out of gas, must just be too lazy to sell gas to long (40 + minute) lines of customers at >$3 a gallon. I am going to stop, lest my rantings become political.

Well, I will add this. This is a town of 10,000. The county has 20,000 total. 3 gas stations is significant.

More stations have closed here and the price has increased from 2.89 to 3.55 since 11:30 this morning.

Just had my new fuel gauge calibrated.

The news media may be getting ahead of itself (again) and could contribute to panic buying. During the last oil crisis in the 1970's and 80's, people started waiting in line for hours to top off their gas tanks which contributed to the shortages. Jimmy Carter compounded the problem by imposing price controls and creating federally supported "entitlements" on crude oil which kept the cost artificially low.

The following information is from the Oil and Gas Journal website:

"At least eight Gulf Coast refineries representing 2.3 million b/d of cumulative refining capacity were shut down or had reduced operations, according to company and DOE reports on Aug. 30.

ExxonMobil Corp. said its 494,000 b/d Baton Rouge, La., facility operated at reduced capacity for a short time before resuming normal operations.

Units completely shut down included Chevron's 325,000 b/d refinery in Pascagoula, Miss., Valero Energy Corp 's 260,000 b/d St. Charles refinery in Louisiana, Motiva Enterprises LLC's 255,000 b/d facility in Convent, La., and 242,000 b/d refinery in Norco, La., ConocoPhillips' 247,000 b/d Alliance refinery, Marathon Oil Corp.'s 245,000 b/d Garyville, La., refinery, Chalmette Refining LLC's 187,200 b/d facility; and Murphy Oil Corp.'s Meraux, 125,000 b/d refinery. "

When a hurricane is likely to hit the Gulf Coast, the refineries and chemical plants in that area are cut back or shutdown for precautionary reasons. Normally they operate in a hot circulating mode since it is costly to totally shutdown a 24 hour a day operation. When the storm has passed they can usually increase to full capacity in a few days which seems to be happening already. There appears to be only one refinery in Lake Charles that is being effected by power outages. Flooding and water damage appears to be minimal at the refineries.

Lake Charles is probably 150 miles west of New Orleans and was on the fringes of the hurricane. It may have some temporary outages due to downed lines in that area. Some of the other refineries are between New Orleans and Baton Rouge west of Lake Ponchartrain. The flooding from that lake appears to be east of these refineries.

Barring any new problems not surfaced, the shortages should go away in a week or so. Right after the last summer holiday weekend.

Bill Pflanz

Well, we now have gas at $2.85 to $3.00 in this small town of approx. 8,000 and 2 stations are out of gas. :frust:

Wisconsin - up to $3.50 already in some of our gas stations today. Up $.061 in 36 hours. :mg:

Our prices have increased again in the past 24 hours to $3.19 :biglaugh: We are better off than Atlanta where CNN showed them paying as high as $5.78.

My small town is almost completely out and they announced on the radio that we should get gas if we need it as the stations do not know when we will get another shipment. Most of the stores that have gas are at 3.25 per gallon with some gouging @ over 4.00 per gallon. I am about 60 miles south of Atlanta. The Governor announced yesterday that gouging will not be tolerated so I suspect some stations will be dealing with the consequences of their dishonest actions.

Up to 2.99 around here. At least that's what the signs read, but based on what the gas station attendant I talked to yesterday had to say, it's probably because they're out of everything but premium. I heard reports on the radio of some stations price gouging to regular at 3.89 but didn't see it for myself so I don't know for sure. I did see backups on the interstate as lines for gas stations overflowed into the streets and all the way to the exit ramps. People must be panicking, because I saw my usual gas station had an extra attendant out directing traffic to prevent a complete traffic jam.

Our governor has issued a statement asking people to carpool and not take any unnecessary trips. Could be interesting if we run out of gas.

Snopes has a good summary of all of the internet rumors floating around out there:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/katrina.asp

Yesterday after work I passed three gas stations near my house; two were at 3.25 and the third was at 2.99. Thinking that the one at 2.99 hadn't gotten around to raising the price yet, I stopped and filled up. This morning that station was still at 2.99 and doing very brisk business.

Memphis, TN is seeing prices from $2.79 to $3.09. We have a refinery here in town right on the Mississippi river so as long they can get crude oil supply should be sufficient.

$3.58 in Ceder Springs Michigan....

$3.19 in GR :truce:

$2.70 for 87 octane and rising higher every day. And we ain't seen nothing yet. Just trying to figure out now if my tank is half empty or half full. :rolleyes:
$2.70 yesterday morning, $3.00 - $3.40 by noon yesterday. This morning prices were holding the same.

I bought premium yesterday for $2.99 here at home, it's probably higher today.

$2.90 (2.89.9) yesterday at ARCO for 87 octane.....the 92 octane was $3.10......places like Amoco or Shell are quite a bit more.....

Hershal

2.99 to 3.25 for regular this afternoon. That is, *if* you can find a station that has any left :mg:

A coworker who lives in the same town as me just got a call from her husband, the entire city is gridlocked from people driving from station to station looking for gas! Lots of people here are talking about leaving early to make sure they can get gas. I can't help but think people are panicking and causing a false shortage.

hi ..
Since everybody talk about gasoline price keep increasing and its seem the control of gasoline costs is now controlling by Giant Oil provider.
So , no more cutsomer power. in Malaysia the price still under $2.00 (RM$ 1.69/lit)but its still consider expensive for ordinary people like us .
So , any idea to control this costs keep increasing and give us the hard life for our people. :thanx:

Thanks

My plans of building an electric car are sounding cheaper every day.

My small town in SE Indiana between Indianapolis and Cincinnati prices are from $3.09 to $3.39 per gallon. I have parked my 2000 4x4 and driving my old "beater", a 1989 Ford mini-van that is getting 20 mpg in around town type driving conditions. The thing is ugly, a dent in the door, and shakes, rattles, and rolls on down the road (sounds like a country song eh?). It has a good motor and transmission in it, and at 185,000 miles makes a very good spare vehicle. Kind of glad I never got rid of it.
-Dan-

So , any idea to control this costs keep increasing and give us the hard life for our people.


You already know all the obvious, keep your car tuned-up and maintained, don’t hit the gas/accelerator pedal or brakes too hard (unless u really need to stop :lol: )

Here are the less obvious things that helped me gain a little on my gas mileage,

1. Don’t drive too fast, more drag = less fuel economy; keep engine humming at a constant, comfortable pace whatever type your car is (auto/manual)

2. Try not to turn on the Air conditioner every time you get in the car. However, keep in mind at high speeds, 55 miles an hour or more -- driving with your windows down actually consumes more fuel than using the A/C because it creates so much aerodynamic drag.

3. Inflate tires to max allowable pressure, it’s the best way to start saving immediately. Balance, align tires, and rotate them when necessary.

4. Clean your trunk, don’t keep too much stuff in the car, more weight = less mileage.

5. Car pool if it’s possible, that’s the best thing to do

Also, don’t start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine. Think ahead when approaching hills. If you accelerate, do it before you reach the incline.

This was a good article I read sometime back
http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/tipsandadvice/08/12/save_gas/

Also, don’t start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine.



Really? I assumed that was only true of carbureted engines, because they needed a big squirt of fuel to get started. I didn’t think fuel injected engines would require so much fuel to start up.

Really? I assumed that was only true of carbureted engines, because they needed a big squirt of fuel to get started. I didn’t think fuel injected engines would require so much fuel to start up.
They don't.

So , any idea to control this costs keep increasing and give us the hard life for our people. Actually, I had enough before prices started skyrocketing, and bought a new mountain bike in february. I did a far bit of biking before, but nowadays I use the car only when I really need to. I realize that this is an option only if your work is reasonably close. Anyway, it keeps both my wallet and waistline in shape :rolleyes:

/Claes

The Governor of Georgia has signed an order halting taxes on motor fuel until the end of September.

Gas actually went down at the closest station to work. Yesterday it dropped 4 cents to $2.779/gallon.

Highest I've seen in the area is $2.899/gallon for regular, $3.099/gallon for premium.

I saw a sign this morning for 2.96 a gallon. That is the cheapest I have seen around here.

Saw 3.19 yesterday morning. I paid 3.49 for premium. That's all my Firebird has seen and I just couldn't put anything else in it. Hope it a temporary blip and we'll be back to the low 2's soon.

paid $2.39/gallon at the Costco in Sandy, Utah yesterday morning.
$2.399 was on August 30, I paid $2.679 this morning (85 octane).

I paid $2.89 last night here in northern SC

I paid $AUD1.28 per litle yesterday and that works out as $AUD4.84 per US Gallon or $US3.72 for unleaded. It is unreal how quickly the fuel price went up after Katrina - within days. Even though the effects of Katrina will take weeks if not months to effect us here in OZ (if at all).

Why do we float the petro dollar? Why is it not like it was during the full on OPEC days when at least it was stabilsed and Wall strrwt flunkies could not speculate. Our fed takes about 38% and then a GST of 10% on top of that before anyone else takes their cut. Thye are making a fortune.

I had to run out on a few errands today.
Within a 3 mile radius of my house, gas prices ranged from $2.769/gal to $2.999/gal for 87 octane unleaded (blended with 10% ethanol) - all brand name stations - no unbranded independents left within a 10 mile radius. Exactly one week ago, the one that is at $2.769 today was at $3.199.

Nothing at the moment, couldn't get any this morning.
Garages have been closing down here since Monday lunchtime as people are panic buying fuel.

Interesting how when oil went up so did the gas prices, now that it went back down the prices stay steady at 3.19/gallon.

2.79 per gallon here in Eastern Michigan. Has been steady for the last week.

More proof that gasoline prices are out of control:

I pulled into a full service gas station today and asked for five dollars worth of gas. The guy farted, took my five and walked away. :confused:

More proof that gasoline prices are out of control:

I pulled into a full service gas station today and asked for five dollars worth of gas. The guy farted, took my five and walked away. :confused:
That is probably because you paid in Canadian dollars. :rolleyes:

Watch for falling gas prices. 87 was at $2.84 this morning in Southern Indiana, Jasper. Down from $2.89 last night

Just curious. I noticed in one post they said 85. I did not think that any engine manufacture reccomended anything less than 87. I noticed that some mentioned the 93. I had been told that running that high of octane is not good and you shoud run the one that will run the best in your car (no pings) other that at every oil change to help clean out the injectors. I use 93 in all my two cycles to keep the carb from gumming up. I used to use 87 in my boat and always had trouble with it gumming up. I took it to an old timer and he said to run the 93 and mix with oil. Never had any gum trouble after that. Our Casey station is selling 89 at 5 cents cheaper than 87!

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I'll be d*mned if I haven't noticed a pattern with gas prices over the years, beginning back in the early seventies when I started paying attention to such things. Actually, that was when I started paying attention in general, but never mind. Let's say the price of gas is $2.50 per gallon. The desired price is $2.85, but a leap from $2.50 to 2.85 might be perceived as gross, so instead, over the course of a few weeks, the price is raised to $3.00. People are predictably p*ssed off, and mumbling and grumbling, but then, all of a sudden, the price comes down to $2.85, and now people are sort of happy, at least happier than they were with $3.00 gas, and much happier than they would have been at a single jump from $2.50 to $2.85. Everything is relative. Right now, the $2.85 gas you bought this morning seems like relief, and maybe that's part of the plan.
(Please don't ask me what plan, or whose plan it is--allow me this small bit of paranoia.)

Just curious. I noticed in one post they said 85. I did not think that any engine manufacture reccomended anything less than 87. I noticed that some mentioned the 93. I had been told that running that high of octane is not good and you shoud run the one that will run the best in your car (no pings) other that at every oil change to help clean out the injectors. I use 93 in all my two cycles to keep the carb from gumming up. I used to use 87 in my boat and always had trouble with it gumming up. I took it to an old timer and he said to run the 93 and mix with oil. Never had any gum trouble after that. Our Casey station is selling 89 at 5 cents cheaper than 87!

You may have seen some comments about a gasoline grade called E85 which is a special ethanol blend. Sun Oil used to sell a fourth grade that was 85 octane but I think even they stopped blending that grade since it is not recommended for today's cars.

If you have a high performance engine that requires 93 than that is what you should use or you might have engine knock that can damage it. "Gumming up" has nothing to do with octane. Cycle and boat engines may be different but no modern cars have carburatours (sp?)anymore. Even with that I would not add oil to those engines unless it is required.

My wife just got a new car so I was looking at the gasoline recommendation. It specifically recommended regular gasoline only and said that a higher premium gasoline may even result in lower gas mileage. To the extent that the gasoline does not clog injectors, it is related to some detergents that are additives in all gasoline but is more related to how dirty the tanks are at the gas station.

Bill Pflanz

$2.56 per gallon here in Eastern Michigan!

And back to that oldie but goody, I believe that refinery capacity is the big catylist.

$2.75 a gallon this morning in central GA.

Well, has dropped down below the $1/L mark again here. :) 99.1cents/L this morning. Should be a little easier on the pocketbook - especially with one month left to my wedding, and all the driving and errand-running that will need to be done in between!

$2.69 here in S. Central PA. It has dropped from $3.19 over the last few weeks.

In the Stillwater Minnesota area, gas has dropped to $2.49 from a high of about 3.09 just a couple weeks ago.

I think the big impetus for the drop, aside from production coming back up to capacity, is the temporary repeal of the insane fuel blend requirements. What is it, about 40 different blend requirements across the country?!? Simplify your supply chain and you lower prices. Personally I'd like to see the repeal become permanent.

Just curious. I noticed in one post they said 85. I did not think that any engine manufacture reccomended anything less than 87. That was probably me. I'm in Utah, elevation about 4500 feet. I've always been told the octane doesn't have to be as high at higher elevations. Here's an explanation I found doing a google search:

"Pre-detonation requires a mix of oxygen, fuel, heat & compression. Lower one of those factors and the conditions for pre-detonation change. Less oxygen, as found in higher altitudes, makes pre-detonation harder to take place, thus reducing the requirement for a higher octane, which is used to resist a fuel's ability to ignite under compression. The octane rating of gasoline tells you how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites."
Our Casey station is selling 89 at 5 cents cheaper than 87!
Was the 89 octane an ethanol blend?

Scott, I do not think it was blended. They advertise "100% pure" gasoline. I will check. Just heard the hurricane (Rita) is causing a jump in prices!!! Price this morning was $2.75 for 87. I had just started driving when the local Farm Bureau Coop station introduced ethanol. If I remember correctly(77-78) it was about 10 cents cheaper than the pure gas.

If I remember correctly(77-78) it was about 10 cents cheaper than the pure gas. If I understand it there is little or no net 'profit' using ethanol.

Factoids from Popular Science magazine (October 2005 issue page 40):

2.8 billion gallons of ethanol was blended with gasoline in 2004
7.5 billion gallons of ethanol projected to be used annually by 2012.

US$1.25 - Cost of producing 1 gallon of gasoline (production costs)
US$4.69 cost to produce 1 gallon of ethanol.

It takes 1.6 gallons of ethanol to generate the energy equivalent of 1 US gallon of gasoline.

It takes 35 kilowatt-hours of energy to make 1 gallon of gasoline.
It takes 45 kilowatt-hours of energy to make 1 gallon of ethanol.

Just a few thoughts... This looks like a Farm Belt subsidy...

Yep. Net energy loss to produce ethanol.

My brother-in-law has sent me a message with his take on the oil situation:
A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country.
Well, there's a very simple answer.
Nobody bothered to check the oil.
We just didn't know we were getting low.
The reason for that is purely geographical.
Our OIL is located in
Alaska
California
Coastal Florida
Coastal Louisiana
Kansas
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Texas
~~~
Our
DIPSTICKS
are located in Washington DC

I paid $2.69 a gallon this morning. This price was in a suburb of Chicago.

So, the other day, when the donut truck was here, I asked the guy why the prices were up on donuts (by $.05), and he replied, "Gas prices", OK, I get that. Now, a week later, prices are going back down, so I asked him, "now that gas is back down, are donut prices going down, too?" No response.

Time to give up my biggest vice.

Well, has dropped down below the $1/L mark again here. :) 99.1cents/L this morning. Should be a little easier on the pocketbook - especially with one month left to my wedding, and all the driving and errand-running that will need to be done in between!

BLASTED!!!
Now that Rita's coming to town in Texas, they are predicting that it could DOUBLE overnight - and of course it has to happen on the weekend that I'm heading home for a wedding shower (1000km round-trip - grrrrrrr) :mad:

If it stays up there, God knows if I can continue commuting.

Rachel, $1.71 a liter here in southern Ontario. People were line up for blocks last nite...several gas stations have ran out of gas...this is crazy!

In South Carolina, northeast area, I paid $2.73 last evening

I wish....@ $6.50 a gallon (approx) we soon won't be able to afford to go to work....I drive a saturn so it won't hit me quite as hard but the people with their pickup's are looking a couple hundred dollars to fill up ....insane....

..I drive a saturn so it won't hit me quite as hard but the people with their pickup's are looking a couple hundred dollars to fill up ....insane....

Well, I gotta say that I don't have much sympathy for the Hummers, SUVs and huge trucks on the road...specifically not in the Golden Horseshoe. NO ONE who is getting into/out of Toronto during peak hours *needs* to drive a gas-guzzler.

I'm with you, though, Tracey - I drive a 3, so I do relatively well with a tank a week - but still - it's going to become cost-prohibitive pretty quickly.

NOTE TO ALL - if you get reimbursed for mileage, don't forget to talk to your employer about changing the rate - I get the feeling that 35cents/L isn't going to cut it anymore!

Rachel, Tracey, what part of Canada are you in? I'm in S Ontario (Kitchener, specifically) and gas price as of 5 minutes ago (5:18 PM) was $1.032 at the gas station up the street, as well as at several places around my plant (on the outskirts of Cambridge).

I have been told, however, that gas prices in Guelph (about 30 km away) are up over $2.00 a litre, and climbing steadily. Although I am fortunate enough to have a short commute to work (about 10 km each way) my car is an old gas guzzler, so I go through about half a tank a week. On top of that, my wife just started school in Toronto, and when we planned on her attending, we DIDN'T plan on gas prices going up 100% +.

Oh well....what can you do? You've gotta have it, and you know you're gonna pay it, no matter what it is.

here in beijing is US$0.53/liter roughly US$2.11 a gallon... really killing the world of high oil prices... i think oil producing country will get even more richer if we can't stop this hike...

Rachel, Tracey, what part of Canada are you in?

I commute from Hamilton/Burlington to the Brampton area every day. Yeah, I know - I'm a moron. Thankfully I average only 1, maybe 1.25, 55L tank(s) a week...we don't do a ton of driving on weeknights. Weekends kill us, though - especially while planning this f&$%ing "blessed event".

I'm in S Ontario (Kitchener, specifically) and gas price as of 5 minutes ago (5:18 PM) was $1.032 at the gas station up the street, as well as at several places around my plant (on the outskirts of Cambridge).

For all the hype - this morning, the gas station by our place was at $1.049...same as it was lastnight when I topped up (I have a road trip this aft). My fiancé sat in abnormal highway traffic lastnight on his way home - not because of an accident, but because of an offramp to a gas station that was backed up so far that, effectively, a lane was blocked. Ridiculous. People gotta understand that if they're gonna panic and fill up - *that's* when the shortages happen, and *that's* when the prices start to go up. Some of the more remote areas in the Niagara region were hitting $3/L lastnight, so said the radio - because people were lining up to fill up.

On top of that, my wife just started school in Toronto, and when we planned on her attending, we DIDN'T plan on gas prices going up 100% +.

Yup - I hear you. When the boy and I moved in together, we overbudgeted for the commutes - or so we thought (you already know my commute - he commutes to Niagara). For a while, we were alright...but again, we forecasted gas hitting maybe 85 or 90 cents - we weren't counting on $2/L. Thankfully, I haven't seen that yet (knock wood!) - but if it does, we're screwed.

Oh well....what can you do? You've gotta have it, and you know you're gonna pay it, no matter what it is.

Ain't that the truth - they really have you where it hurts. Ironic - one of my best friends went to a company party lastnight to celebrate the company's 125th anniversary...she works out west - yep - for an oil company. Kinda ironic that they're partying on the day that gas prices are shooting through the roof.

(Is it ironic, or just coincidental?....I never really got that.)

My fiancé sat in abnormal highway traffic lastnight on his way home - not because of an accident, but because of an offramp to a gas station that was backed up so far that, effectively, a lane was blocked. Ridiculous. People gotta understand that if they're gonna panic and fill up - *that's* when the shortages happen, and *that's* when the prices start to go up. Some of the more remote areas in the Niagara region were hitting $3/L lastnight, so said the radio - because people were lining up to fill up.


THAT's what gets me. All of the talk about price gouging. Not only can I not blame the hapless gas station operators for jacking the price up when a line forms, it is the law of supply and demand at its best. Those who would jump into a line at $2.50 a gallon might (I said might) just THINK (duh) about postponing a purchase (or postponing a trip, or joining a car pool), effectively reducing demand. Artificially keeping the price down encourages inefficient behavior.

Am I disgusted by huge oil company profits? Sure. So much so that I think its time to buy a little stock. I love cars, and my blood may be 10% 30 weight oil, but until we find an alternative that is truly more efficient any thought of the situation changing is just a (exhaust) pipe dream.

Ron, I from Harrow Ont.; a small town approx 20 miles from Windsor. I travel that 20 miles to & from Windsor daily. Like Rachel, I use approx. a tank a week. That was until my daughter recieved her full time license....look out now! :mg:
The price dropped yesturday to $1.43 L....

Road-tripped home this weekend for my wedding shower. The most I paid for gas on the road?...$1.075/L. I paid 95 cents yesterday to fill up en route.

So much for the frenzy!

June 26, for 85 octane: $1.999 at the Maverick station in Evanston Wyoming, just off exit 5 on I-80.

We drove to Cheyenne and back this weekend - it was $2.739/gallon at this same place on Saturday, October 1.

At that rate it will be about $4.20/gallon on June 26 next year.

I ran out for a quick errand this morning and had two shocks:

As I passed one station, I caught a look at the sign out of the corner of my eye and saw "$3.49" in big numbers and nearly drove off the road. When I looked back, a longer view let me see they were touting Marlboro cigarettes at $3.49/pack.
As I turned on to another street, I took a good look at the price signs for one of the few stations locally that sell diesel fuel. The price spread for diesel was $0.50 higher for diesel than for regular unleaded gasoline. Why? I drove around a little more to the three stations within ten miles that I know sell diesel and ALL had the diesel fuel over $3.00/gallon and ALL had diesel more expensive than regular unleaded gasoline.

Familiar?

Generally diesel has been priced at close to gasoline. By operating in a particular mode refiners can control, within limits, how much gasoline, diesel and fuel oil is made.

My guess is that gasoline demand is so high that the refiners are maximizing gasoline production. There is some concern that fuel oil prices will be high this winter since the refiners are not switching to their winter production schedules as quickly as in previous years. They still are making gasoline when they should be increasing heating oil inventories.

I did see that the auto manufacturers are already seeing a change in demand for higher mileage vehicles and dramatically lower sales for the large SUVs and trucks that get low mileage. In the 1980's that same change in demand lowered demand by 8% and drove crude oil prices down significantly.

If you smoke and drive a SUV you are spending a lot right now. You would think that cigarette demand would start falling even more. Besides the high price, Columbus and its suburbs have banned cigarette smoking in restaurant, bars and public facilities.

Bill Pflanz

Here in South Carolina gas went from $3.08/gal Monday to $2.99/gal yesterday afternoon. Marlboro's are $2.50 a pack here in Marlboro County where the name came from. However, not much tobacco being grown here now due to lack of demand. Most farmers have switched to cotton, or soybeans.

I drive a diesel VW very economical app. 85 kms/5 ltr.The cost of diesel here has shot up, $4.404 to the gallon, unleaded petrol is $4.689 and Lead Replacement Petrol $5.006. We have a local facility producing Biodiesel to EU specs., and there's a growing demand for the product as it competes very well in the price, performance wise it is equal to the present diesel grade I'm thinking of switching over. I would appreciate comments/advice, especially from fellow Covers who have experienced the use of Biodiesel.
Thanks in advance.

I'm in Nashville, Tennessee and gas here is a whopping $2.99/gallon, with diesel running $3.29.:mad:

Got this in my email the other day. Sorry if it offends anyone.

No offense taken....that's definitely what I think everytime I gas up.:mg:

At Costco in Sandy, Utah, 85 octane:

10/6/2005: $2.639
10/21/2005: $2.539
11/7/2005: $2.309

Last time it was this low was the middle of August.

The truck stop just across the road is $2.359 for 85 octane.

(reality check - whoopie! Gas is down to $2.30 a gallon!? I remember how much hearburn there was when it stayed over a dollar - start of 1999 according to my car log)

(reality check - whoopie! Gas is down to $2.30 a gallon!? I remember how much hearburn there was when it stayed over a dollar - start of 1999 according to my car log)

Scott points out an interesting perspective about gasoline prices. The reality is that the 1999 price of a dollar gallon was extraordinarily low when inflation is factored in. Compared to post Arab embargo prices, that price was extremely good.

The price in central Ohio has been steadily falling for the past month and is currently at $2.05-2.09. Even with gasoline falling, it is still in the best interest of everyone to continue a long term strategy of better gasoline mileage and conservation or we will be back over $3 soon.

Bill Pflanz

My wife got gas in Cheraw, SC this morning for $1.97 gal. for 87 octane:D

Okay I'm going to inform you how much we pay over here in England.

Note that this is in & around the Mancheater area (North West England) so its much cheaper then those in the south

Prices based on £0.54 per American $1.00.

Price for stanard 95 octane unleaded: $6.06 per (american) gallon

The better 98 octance is £0.05 more expensive per litre.

Be thankfull your not paying this!

Having said that, last month it was $6.53 per (american) gallon.

Diesel is about £0.12 more expensive again.


WOW!

One thing I don't understand is that why gas prices are not going to pre katrina levels in canada? though its lower now but not like its was before Katrina somthing like C$ 0.70/ litre.

In the Twin Cities, Minnesota area, gas is around $2.09 US per gallon at the moment, and I expect it'll continue dropping a bit more. Diesel is still at around $3, but slowly coming down as well.

I think one of the biggest factors in the reduction of price during the hurricane recoveries is that Bush temporarily suspended much of the restrictions on fuel formulations, which allowed for much simpler fuel distribution. I find it astonishing that the US has requirements of about 40 different fuel blends. Add that to the fact that federal and state taxes account for an average of about $0.49 on every gallon of gas and it's no wonder that prices are as high as they are, even without the supply crunch caused by the environmentalist whackos (brought into sharp relief by the hurricane outages)

Lee,

Are you saying 95 octane or was it a typo for 85 octane we use over here??

Al...

GRRRRR, gas is still running about $2.50 a gallon around here

Having said that, last month it was $6.53 per (american) gallon.

Diesel is about £0.12 more expensive again.
How much of that is tax added by the government?

GRRRRR, gas is still running about $2.50 a gallon around hereHere too, but it beats the $3.30, I was paying. Let's face it, we'll be happy to pay $2.00. At least, I will.

How much of that is tax added by the government?

Here too, but it beats the $3.30, I was paying. Let's face it, we'll be happy to pay $2.00. At least, I will.



Akron, OH was around $2.05/gal US over the Nov. 5 weekend, but diesel was still near $3.00.

still in the mid $2's for reg in Roch, NY. paid $2.89 for 93 octane last week.

North suburbs of Chicago - price of regular unleaded ranges from $2.28 to $2.45 within half-mile of each other.

I am still mystified why "winter formula" diesel is averaging 75 cents to one dollar higher than regular unleaded at various stations. No diesel anywhere I've driven in last week is BELOW $3.25.

Just stumbled across this thread. You don't know how lucky you are. Here in Wales UK in July we were paying 83p/litre, blame was put on the hurricanes and put the price up to £1.00/litre. It has now dropped to 90p/litre. This is for 95 octane unleaded. Diesel is about 3p more. In dollars that is $5.59/US gallon, up to $6.74/US Gallon, now $6.06/US gallon, diesel is 20 cents higher a US gallon. Out in the rural areas, it is sometimes 75 cents higher. Ironically , this is close to the refineries! We had a similar email recently saying avoid BP and Shell stations.
Paul
PS We don't have winter diesel here.

Haven't been to this topic in awhile... I paid $2.07 Monday (W Chester OH), saw $2.05 today. The news last night actually made a big deal that it was down below $2 nearby (Hamilton OH $1.98)...

Gas at $2 is now a GOOD thing I guess.....

Jerry

Still at 2.55/gallon for the cheap stuff in Central New York.

Paid 2.52 this morning for regular in Durham, NC. I only put in enough to get to work. I’ll fill up tonight on my way home – it’s $2.23 here in middle-of-nowhere Eastern NC.

In England its 95 Octane as standard, with 98 being what we call 'Super Unleaded'.

Having said that, in continental Europe, it tends to be 98 Octane as standard 100 as super.

If you guys are using 85 Octane your cars must be running really rough, and using shed loads more fuel then needed.

Thomas

So is anyone else following the news about oil companies with record profits and CEO bonuses while we paid ~$1 more per gallon than a year ago?

Saw a little Yahoo news blurb where one of the execs testifying before congress actually made it sound like higher prices were a GOOD thing to help keep demand low...

Wow........

Actually, Jerry, it is a good thing.

If the oil companies are making too much money, maybe we need to pool our resources and go into that business, as well. Better yet, lets find a more efficient way to transport people, goods, and services, and corner that market, making the oil guys irrelevant. Would that happen if they were not making good profits?

Doubt it.

So is anyone else following the news about oil companies with record profits and CEO bonuses while we paid ~$1 more per gallon than a year ago?

Saw a little Yahoo news blurb where one of the execs testifying before congress actually made it sound like higher prices were a GOOD thing to help keep demand low...

Wow........

It's my understanding that the oil companies make roughly $0.10 profit per gallon in the US on average. Average state and fed taxes are roughly $0.49 per gallon....so who's actually making the obscene profits? Yes, they're making billions in profits, but a lot of the reason is simply because the scale of the product is enormous compared to many other industries. I'd be much happier to let them have some profit so that they can continue to develop new oil sources and refining. The only real way to bring price down, without reduction in demand, is to increase capacity and supply.

People also complain about how it's always "big oil" that's the problem. Well, the laws in place currently on manufacture and distribution of gas are so restrictive and costly that nobody except for the largest companies can afford to do business in petroleum. There is no "mom & pop" gas refinery. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there have been no new refineries built in the US for the last 30 years. The number has actually reduced from about 300 to less than 180. Part of this I'm sure is due to the old refineries becoming more efficient over the years, but part as well is due to the fact that there's such a Gordean knot of restrictions and permits to build a new one that it takes years just to get through the permit process.

NIMBY and environmental policy prevents us from seeking new sources to become less dependent on foreign supply, prevents us from increasing our refining capacity to a non-interruptible level, prevents us from manufacturing and distributing the product cheaply or easily.

I say let them make some profit. Let them develop supply and invest in their business with it. In the long run it'll benefit the consumer much more than the government taking an even larger chunk in the form of "windfall taxes". The government already gets a windfall income. They don't need any more.

In England its 95 Octane as standard, with 98 being what we call 'Super Unleaded'.

Having said that, in continental Europe, it tends to be 98 Octane as standard 100 as super.

If you guys are using 85 Octane your cars must be running really rough, and using shed loads more fuel then needed.

ThomasOur autos are designed to use 87 octane and $2.50/gal beats paying $6.00/gal. If our cars are running rough, I guess we're used to it, so it's not a problem.

Our autos are designed to use 87 octane and $2.50/gal beats paying $6.00/gal. If our cars are running rough, I guess we're used to it, so it's not a problem.

Al, Rough running cars are one of the sources of vibration that gave life to the big NVH push from the OEM's. ;) Gas prices in South Bend Indiana are ranging from 2.15 to 2.29 per gallon for 87 octane.

Yesterday I was listening to CNN, a report about the senate questioning the CEOs of the oil companies, what they have found out was astonishing, & that was ......One of the CEO was making US $4000/ secs during the hurricane season.

Al, Rough running cars are one of the sources of vibration that gave life to the big NVH push from the OEM's. ;) Gas prices in South Bend Indiana are ranging from 2.15 to 2.29 per gallon for 87 octane.Then again, rough can be a relative term.

I do have a bit of understanding on where some of the cost/gallon comes from, I know the "big oil" co's aren't completely to blame.

But I think there is a problem when the CEO's get ~100-200mil bonuses while "sticking it to the people". Something is flawed, something should be changed. Yesterday CNN mentioned while this one customer was filling his tank, the oil company (or CEO, forget) made ~1 million dollars.

Sorry, I don't see why the cost of gas should change more often than the stock markets... (Usually on nothing substantial or concrete, just speculation)

Jerry

The truck stop just across the road is $2.359 for 85 octane.


This morning it was $2.159 at the truck stop. That's the fastest decrease I can remember - 20 cents in 3 days.

$1.96 2 days ago, in Paducah, KY. Ranged to $2.06 at a few stations in the area.

I think its not all the oil companies problems but more the oil refineries that cause the issues over here, and the government taking 80% of our fees in tax. Do not forget they already take tax from the oil companies when they bring the oil into the country.

Governments and Tax, they love it they do!

$1.94 at Sam's in Southaven, MS.

What happened to the $5 - $6 per gallon the media was predicting?

Jaime

What happened to the $5 - $6 per gallon the media was predicting?

The media skipped Economics 101 where the concept of supply and demand was discussed.

Bill Pflanz

couldnt read 43 pages of replies.so i dont know if anyone in england has posted.[
4 litres per gallon.
our highest was £1.04/litre about two months ago. dont know what the conversion is to dollars. maybe 1.8 to the pound.
i drive a celica gt4 (all-trac in the states) and it drinks petrol like soda.
fortunately id ont major long drives and work is 10 mins away.:mg: i should bike but its winter now:nopity:
see ya.

Gas prices are going down bit by bit here in toronto......... todays price 0.866/ ltr but not pre katrina level yet.

What happened to the $5 - $6 per gallon the media was predicting?

The same media that reported 1000's dead during the hurricanes. Not confirmed or even seen for themselves, just reported... (A recent SouthPark episode touched on this perfectly.)

Jerry

The same media that reported 1000's dead during the hurricanes. Not confirmed or even seen for themselves, just reported... (A recent SouthPark episode touched on this perfectly.)

JerryAnd, Al Gore was elected president!

Note: This is not to be misconstrued as a political statement, only commentary on the media.

This morning it was $2.159 at the truck stop. That's the fastest decrease I can remember - 20 cents in 3 days.

This was down to $2.039 this morning - that's another 12 cent drop in a week and about 33 cents in about ten days.

Paid $2.08 last night. First time in months I filled up for less than $30, 29.75

:biglaugh:

$1.91 for the cheap stuff this morning!

$1.97 down the street. First time in quite awhile under $2, been hovering around $2.05-2.10 for a week or so.

W Chester OH

Jerry

$1.91 for the cheap stuff this morning!

$1.97 down the street. First time in quite awhile under $2, been hovering around $2.05-2.10 for a week or so.

W Chester OH

Jerry

Glad to hear that it is down there. I'm comming to Ohio on Friday for the weekend to visit family in Bucyrus, and Crestline.

still way too high

we have boots on the ground over there....we should be paying zero

The funny thing is: Every time the gov starts to probe the profits of the oil companies, the prices go down.

Shouldn't we have somebody watch over them constantly?:whip:

Thank NY state taxes, but we're still $2.30's here. Quick to hike it up, slow to drop it down.

About a month ago one of the local convenience stores (Circle K) started "Customer Appreciation Day" (which quickly turned into every day), and sold mid-grade for the same price as the low-grade.

Yesterday I noted 2 of the local brand-name stations (Sunoco and Philips 66) offering mid-grade for the same price as the low-grade ($1.97). So I now have a full tank of $1.97 Sunoco mid-grade, and in the 3 miles that I've driven the car since, I'm positive that it likes this new cheaper gas better than that old $3+ a gallon stuff.;)

We are also at $1.97 here in town, got some last night. Out on by-pass, 4 block away it is $2.03.

A few days ago there were a few comments about the media doing a poor job of reporting on gasoline. Here is a perfect example. USA Today had a story today that talks about Thanksgiving trips being costly this year compared to last year and how it will affect trips. (No comments on the source since it is more widely read than many reputable papers and probably will get widely reported by television tonight.)

They reported that gasoline was 25 cents a gallon higher. AAA described the average trip as 100 miles round trip. At a very low 15 mpg, the average driver would use 6.66 gallons at an additional cost of $1.67 compared to last year.

I don't think you want to tell Grandma you are not visiting this year to save the money unless you are really cheap.

Bill Pflanz

At a very low 15 mpg, the average driver would use 6.66 gallons at an additional cost of $1.67 compared to last year.

I don't think you want to tell Grandma you are not visiting this year to save the money unless you are really cheap.

Bill Pflanz

I was going to suggest staying home and sending Grandma a card, but even that would cost more than $1.67. :lol:

I was going to suggest staying home and sending Grandma a card, but even that would cost more than $1.67. :lol:Use e-mail. It's not even:2cents:.

We're getting off topic, but my Grandma doesn't have email! We'll be driving. My son will be flying in from college, and we'll just cut back somewhere else.

just paid $2.43. Like I said, God Bless New York. You'd think the oil companies are HQ'd here.

They reported that gasoline was 25 cents a gallon higher. AAA described the average trip as 100 miles round trip. At a very low 15 mpg, the average driver would use 6.66 gallons at an additional cost of $1.67 compared to last year.Driving the Econoline 150 with the 351 Ford V-8 at 12 mpg round trip, 720 miles, from Columbus, Ohio to Bloomington, Illinois at 0.25/gallon more = an additional $15. Those B#@$%ds at Big Oil cost me a case of Budweiser.
BTW, right after the hurricane swamped the Big Easy, gas went to 2.98/gal at the local Meijer. The attendant told me not to worry, it would be back below $2 by Christmas. $1.97 this morning. Do I smell collusion? Or is that just the smoke from the oil refinery?

I filled up last night as I am driving 500 miles after I get off work today for the Thanksgiving holiday. I paid $1.99 at a Sam's in Memphis, TN (no I did not see Elvis eating a turkey leg while I was there :D ).

Jaime

I filled up last night as I am driving 500 miles after I get off work today for the Thanksgiving holiday. I paid $1.99 at a Sam's in Memphis, TN (no I did not see Elvis eating a turkey leg while I was there :D ).

Jaime

That's because he was over at the Rendevous eating ribs while you were getting gas.

Driving the Econoline 150 with the 351 Ford V-8 at 12 mpg round trip, 720 miles, from Columbus, Ohio to Bloomington, Illinois at 0.25/gallon more = an additional $15. Those B#@$%ds at Big Oil cost me a case of Budweiser.

Sounds like it is time for a trade in. Cost of gasoline will only go up until enough people conserve.

BTW, right after the hurricane swamped the Big Easy, gas went to 2.98/gal at the local Meijer. The attendant told me not to worry, it would be back below $2 by Christmas. $1.97 this morning. Do I smell collusion? Or is that just the smoke from the oil refinery?

I know Ford and GM are having problems but they tried selling low gasoline mileage vehicles in the 80's until Toyota took (and never gave up) market share. Maybe they should have used their billions of dollars of profit over the last 25 years to get better gas mileage and then we wouldn't need new refineries.

Short term, I believe that the oil companies took advantage of the hurricane situation but so have companies that sell ice, wood, drinking water etc. Unfortunately there is no law against making money. It probably does show poor corporate ethics but their excuse will be that they had to do what was right for the stockholders.

Bill Pflanz

"Stockholders" is the company's rule to satisfy.
I used to hear this all the time from the COO. Never heard him make any statement about satisfying the customer, or employees.
I thought customers were the one who paid the bills, not stockholders.
Guess I will never be worthy of senior executive consideration.:tg:

cheapest in UK at the minute is around $5.70 per gallon. :mad:

So please don't complain in the US just carry on destroying the world cheaply :eek:

So please don't complain in the US just carry on destroying the world cheaply :eek::topic:Speaking of cheap.

I was in Canada this week and gas was $0.79 at liter in Windsor. Still much higher than in Toledo $1.96 a gallon. It seems everything is much more expensive in Canada. Maybe it is so they can pay for the excellent health care system they have up there.

We are paying about $4.60 in Ireland. I filled up last week just outside Amsterdam airport for about $5.70!!!

I saw some priced at $1.91 today near the NC line in McColl,SC

Thanks to WI taxes, I paid $2.21 today.

Monday morning (11/28) in Des Moines, gas stations throughout the area were offering 89 octane gasahol for $1.889/gal. Same afternoon in Libertyville, Illinois, lowest price was $2.119 for 87 octane, highest was $2.19. This afternoon, I paid $2.129 for 87 octane.

Sounds like it is time for a trade in. Cost of gasoline will only go up until enough people conserve.
What!? I just purchased it 2 years ago for less than $10K. It only had 42K miles on it. It's still got less than 60K miles. It's just getting broken in!
When the Japanese build a vehicle that will hold 5 passengers, a 90 lb dog in its crate, all their luggage for a week long stay, and pull a 6,000 lb curb weight travel trailer, I'll buy.

I just paid 2.39. The upcoming 11 oclock news is supposed to tell me why!

I'm still trying to figure out why, on the same day CNN tells me gas has dropped 10-20 cents over the last week, our prices jumped ~20 cents??

Just when I was enjoying my ~$1.94 it goes to $2.29.......

Jerry
(Cincinnati)

The futures market for crude oil, gasoline and fuel oil is reacting to the recent change to colder weather. The oil companies appear to have adopted a strategy that when the futures market increases, they push prices higher even if it is not related to current market economics. What that means in plain English is that they can do what they want and blame it on the weather people.

Assuming we do have a colder winter here and in other countries, it will increase the price of fuel oil. That is the bad news. The good news is that fuel oil is mainly used for heating in New England here in the US. Again bad news for them. The good news is that oil companies will need to process more crude oil to meet demand. More crude oil refining means more gasoline production since it must be produced along with the fuel oil. That is good news since it will drive gasoline prices down. Actually it is all very simple to explain when you think through it. :lmao:

Bill Pflanz

No kidding. Over the last week it's backed off a bit but I filled up today at $2.179 a gallon. First gas I've purchased in weeks - about a month ago I got a checkout coupon at Meijer for $0.50 off up to 30 gallons. My Bronco with a 302 V8 holds just about 26 gallons and I filled up for what ended up being about $1.489 a gallon after the coupon. That was a happy day.

Hi all

I am in QLD Australia, and we pay approx $1.20 per litre of unleaded fuel, am unsure of actual gas prices.

JJ

$2.39 per gallon in Cleveland, Ohio... less the $.70 coupon from the Giant Eagle Fuel Perks at the GetGo. This is the ONLY time that having to buy groceries for a full house has ever paid off. Giant Eagle offers Fuel Perks of $.10 off per gallon for every $50.00 you spend in groceries.

Here it is now at $2.21 to $2.25, been going up for about a week a little at a time

We have $1,1 for 1 Litre of Gasoline in Lithuania.:bonk:

$2.39 per gallon in Cleveland, Ohio... less the $.70 coupon from the Giant Eagle Fuel Perks at the GetGo. This is the ONLY time that having to buy groceries for a full house has ever paid off. Giant Eagle offers Fuel Perks of $.10 off per gallon for every $50.00 you spend in groceries.

Grocery stores never actually give anything away. When a price is reduced on one product, a price will be raised on another to compensate. A good example: a store has an in-store coupon for say, $.49 off on a certain item, and the "regular" price is $2.49. So it makes it appear that getting the item for $2.00 is a good deal. Problem is that a week before the coupon was introduced, the regular price of the item was $1.99, and a week after the coupon is gone, the price will be $1.99 again. So not only are you not getting a bargain, you're paying more for the item. This sort of thing is perfectly legal and happens all the time.

....... last night, 2.49 a gallon for 87 octane

$2.21 for the cheap stuff in Memphis, TN yesterday.

No, I did not see Elvis gasing up :(

Jaime

$2.89 for the cheap stuff $3.09 for the good stuff. Just seen it at almost every gas station in Midland MI. I called a store about 14 miles from here (work) and their gas will be at $2.69 until morning, guess I'll be going out of my way today for gas!:mad:

$2.69 to $2.89 in north suburbs of Chicago. Radio just announced "cheap gas" in Bolingbrook (SW suburb of Chicago) at $2.63.

I was in Canada this week and gas was $0.79 at liter in Windsor. Still much higher than in Toledo $1.96 a gallon. It seems everything is much more expensive in Canada. Maybe it is so they can pay for the excellent health care system they have up there.

I live in Sarnia, Ontario (aka chemical valley). We MAKE gasoline 3 miles from my house!

I paid $CDN 0.929 per liter yesterday ($US 3.08 if I converted volume and currency correctly). It is $US 2.89 in Port Huron, Michigan which is just 5 minutes across the border bridge.

Gas is higher in Sarnia than most other places in Ontario. Why? Get ready for it - according to the refiners it is due to transportation costs! Did I tell you I can see the refinery flares from my front door? Somehow it is more expensive to ship to my local gas station than to Windsor!

Canadian beer is cheaper in the US. Turkeys (made in Canada) are almost free in the US. Restaurant meals are way cheaper. Home Depot - don't get me started.

My taxes for this year - 60%!

OK - now I'm all depressed. The only good thing, the doctor visits and the pills will be free!

I paid 2.69 yesterday. Firebird is ready to be put on the road this week. I've only put high test in it. That'll be over $3 by tomorrow.

In Sweden I paid something like $5,3@Gallon a week ago.

In Sweden I paid something like $5,3@Gallon a week ago.


In South Florida, USA the prices are ranging between: $2.92-$3.10 USD per gallon.

Coury Ferguson

I filled up this morning at the going price of $2.64 a gallon. Here in Roselle, Illinois.

Regular unleaded in Arkansas is about $2.64 today.

Amazing, there wasn't enough gas at $1.60 a gallon last summer and now there is more than enough at nearly $3.00.

I wonder why record costs don't increase at the same rate as record profits?:confused:

In Portugal we pay for 95 Octane Unleaded about 6 USD/Gallon.
For diesel we pay 4,6 USD/Gallon!

And it's rising up every week!:mad:

Here in Southern California I paid $2.79 / gallon for 87 octane unleaded.
:mg:

One funny thing. In Europe the “weakest” gasoline we have is 95 octanes.
We have also 98 and 100 octanes.
I think our cars wouldn’t move with such 87 octane gasoline...

Anyway actually there are countries in Europe, as Portugal, in which almost 70% of all vehicles move with diesel.
Other thing our cars have less consummation.
I have a diesel Ford that needs no more than 1,4 gallon to make 100 km.;)

One funny thing. In Europe the “weakest” gasoline we have is 95 octanes.
We have also 98 and 100 octanes.
I think our cars wouldn’t move with such 87 octane gasoline...

Anyway actually there are countries in Europe, as Portugal, in which almost 70% of all vehicles move with diesel.
Other thing our cars have less consummation.
I have a diesel Ford that needs no more than 1,4 gallon to make 100 km.;)

Hi Antonio,
the fuel quality is actually similar. Just the calculation is different. Search for "Octane Rating" on Wikipedia and it explains the difference.

Here in CT the gallon normal is at ~2.80$ today.

Isn't it funny how people complaint about $1.70 a gallon when the thread started? And now we are happy to see less than $2.50 on the pump...

:bonk:

Cheers

Isn't it funny how people complaint about $1.70 a gallon when the thread started? And now we are happy to see less than $2.50 on the pump...

:bonk:

Cheers

That’s exactly the psychology the big oil/gas companies wanted to keep the big profits coming in.

On the upswing paying 278 for 87 in Southern Indiana. Say it is going to be above $3 before long. Consumption is up! Cut back, car pool, recycle all petro base products. I had seen a report that stated that crude is expected to remain above $60 until at least 2012. We can not get comfortable with these prices or they will just continue to climb.

In Torrance, CA: today the go-go juice price is $3.07 in my neighborhood. UGH! Thankfully, I don't drive far to work. ;)

I had seen a report that stated that crude is expected to remain above $60 until at least 2012

And you in USA are still very lucky with gasoline prices, here in Europe we are paying twice you pay there.
Just to have an idea about what we expect in Europe for crude prices, the Portuguese state annual budget for 2006 was made expecting oil prices to be at 70 USD.
I have lots of friends that are changing to hybrid vehicles. I think it’s a wise decision! :D

The first post of this thread mentions this tactic to help quell the rising costs of fuel:

... With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take ACTION!

The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we don't buy it. But, (as the gas companies know full well, and are counting on), that's not really a practical
option since we all have come to rely on our cars. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together.

Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, don't purchase gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), namely EXXON and MOBIL.

You see, if they are not selling, they should be inclined, (i.e., "forced"), to reduce their prices. And, because of their size, and hence market share, if they reduce their
prices the other companies will too. (They would HAVE no choice!). Isn't that a "juicy" prospect? But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of users. But
it's doable!

PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO BELOW $1.28 - $1.29 AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK!

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention

I just got an email yesterday suggesting this exact idea. But as far as I've heard, ExxonMobil hasn't had any problems in the past five years... and certainly the gas isn't $1.79 a gallon.

I paid $2.71/ gallon for diesel a few days ago. Thankfully, the diesel I have gets 45-50 mpg. But driving 40 miles to work each way requires this economy. :(

I have lots of friends that are changing to hybrid vehicles. I think it’s a wise decision! :D

Maybe not so wise. Hybrids cost a lot more than their gas counterpart and it takes approximately 100,000+ miles to break even!!! (This is according to an analysis performed by Car & Driver automotive magazine.) If I recall, I think the only hybrids that are "truely efficient" are the Toyota hybrids. Check out the MAY 2006 issue of Car & Driver magazine.

Maybe not so wise. Hybrids cost a lot more than their gas counterpart and it takes approximately 100,000+ miles to break even!!! (This is according to an analysis performed by Car & Driver automotive magazine.) If I recall, I think the only hybrids that are "truely efficient" are the Toyota hybrids. Check out the MAY 2006 issue of Car & Driver magazine.

Consumer reports says essentially the same.
If you're buying a hybrid to save money, it's not likely to work at the moment.
If you buying it to be altruistic, more power to you.

From The New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com)
Brooklyn gas station floors it

BY JONATHAN LEMIRE and RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Motorist looks in stunned silence at $4.50 pump price at Brooklyn gas station. With pump prices rising fast, a gas station under the Brooklyn Bridge took a quantum leap into outrageousness - charging a jaw-dropping $4.50 a gallon! That's what the Gulf Station on Old Fulton St. in Brooklyn Heights was charging credit card customers for a gallon of premium yesterday. A gallon of regular gas was no bargain, either, at $4.14 for cash or $4.26 on plastic.

"That's crazy," said Mike Charles, 49, after gawking at the astronomical rates. "I've never seen gas prices like that before." "There's no way I'd ever pay that much," he added. "I don't care how badly I needed gas."

Around the city, motorists were bracing for prices to crest at $3, a figure the Brooklyn station left in the dust. A Daily News reporter spent nearly 90 minutes outside the station yesterday evening before a driver finally decided to fork over an exorbitant amount of dough for some fuel. "I had no other options," said Carey Macaleer, 29, as she paid a whopping $49.16 to fill up her navy blue Subaru Outback. "I'm virtually empty and I'm going to Westchester."

Donald Borbee, co-manager of the station, said its prices were so high because the station's tanks are small, requiring numerous deliveries. He added that the station functions primarily as an auto repair and service shop. "We know it's expensive, but we don't have a choice," Borbee said.

As New Yorkers lashed out against the skyrocketing fuel prices yesterday, Sen. Chuck Schumer called for an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission to ensure that rising gas prices are not a result of corporate greed. "It's not hurricane season, but the oil companies are just raising the price up and up and up," Schumer said. "And the question is are they doing this dictated on the laws of supply and demand, or is something else at work?"

For Ireal Hawks, 28, a Poland Spring deliveryman from Brooklyn, the rising gas prices have serious consequences. "It's just too much," Hawks said, as he filled up his truck at a Hess station in midtown. "I can't make a living like this."

In Portugal today for 95 Octane Unleaded it raised to about 6,5 USD/Gallon.
What I notice here is that even considering these prices are completely crazy, people don’t leave their car home.
In larger itineraries we can probably find less traffic, but we came to the daily 50 Km home – work, nothing has changed.
This gasoline price has gone 40% higher since January 2004!:mad:

I'm welcomed to the world of SUV's

Taken by used car dealer, now what? (-http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=16141)

by filling up for $44 yesterday, versus the ~$20 for my Eagle Talon.....

Jerry:bonk:

From CNN (http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/21/markets/oil/):
Oil breaks through record $75
Continued fears over Iran and Nigerian supplies, reports of gasoline shortage in the U.S. lead to 2 percent jump.
By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer
April 21, 2006: 4:26 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Oil smashed through record highs Friday, cruising past $75 a barrel on continued fears of a supply disruptions in Iran and Nigeria and reports of spot gas shortages on the U.S. East Coast.

U.S. oil for June delivery set a new trading high of $75.35 before easing to settle up $1.48 at 75.17 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, also a new closing record. The May contract expired Thursday at $71.95.

One trader said the tense international situation left many investors reluctant to bet prices were going to come down before they left for the weekend.

"Over the weekend traders aren't able to respond to any political news," said Brian Hicks, co-manager of the Global Resources Fund at U.S. Global Investors. "It's safer to be long than short."

Hicks said the soaring prices could start eating into demand and that certain predictions - like one he said he heard by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez that oil could spike to $100 a barrel if the U.S. attacks Iran - aren't helping.

"It's that kind of news flow that seems to be driving the oil traders," he said. "It's somewhat concerning."

Oil has been hitting record highs in recent sessions, unadjusted for inflation, on supply worries fed by fears of a confrontation with Iran, the world's fourth-biggest producer. But it's also within sight of inflation-adjusted highs of around $80 a barrel set in the late 1970s and early 1980s following the gas crisis and the Iranian revolution.

U.S. average gas prices moved closer to the $3 a gallon mark Friday as spot shortages were reported along the East Coast.

Gasoline averaged $2.855 for a gallon of regular Friday, up 35 cents, or about 14 percent, in the last month, according to AAA, the consumer group formerly known as the American Automobile Association.

The shortages were not expected to be serious however and were blamed on seasonal changes in gasoline formulas.

Gas prices closely follow crude prices, which have jumped about 19 percent this year, mainly on political uncertainty or violence in Iran, Nigeria, Venezuela and Russia - all major producers. Oil prices soared 45 percent in 2005.

Iran has been at the forefront in recent weeks as it tangles with the West over its nuclear program.

Friday passed with no easing of the tensions in sight.
My prodiction: In the US gasoline will go over US$3/gal and pretty much stay there. I think the 'Energy Information Administration' (?) prediction is low.
http://elsmar.com/gif/summer_gas_prices.gifhttp://elsmar.com/gif/oil_guzzling_nations.gif

Well I am in Nelson BC, Canada and our gas prices are hitting the $1.16 / L:mg:
($4.39 / G) Guess it's time to buy a bike!!!....:agree1:
Future Motercycle Mama

This morning I saw unleaded and diesel at 99.9p per litre, thats $6.74 per US gallon. In the town it's at 95.9p per litre $6.47 per gallon.
Paul

Did you know that the US has 3% of world’s population and spends 22% of all the oil's world production?
Did you know that in China and India added, have almost the same figures but vice versa?
European Union has more or less the same population that the US (400 Million people), and only spends half the oil the US does...
My car moves 25 Km with only a liter of Diesel. How many US cars can do this?
I think it’s time for all American fellows leave your 6 liter engines at home...
At least think on the environment...:)

Did you know that the US has 3% of world’s population and spends 22% of all the oil's world production?
Did you know that in China and India added, have almost the same figures but vice versa?
European Union has more or less the same population that the US (400 Million people), and only spends half the oil the US does...
My car moves 25 Km with only a liter of Diesel. How many US cars can do this?
I think it’s time for all American fellows leave your 6 liter engines at home...
At least think on the environment...:)


Yeah, your absolutely correct. What's your point? Are you jealous or mad?Your thoughts are on the verge of starting serious political and cultural controversy and we tend to try and keep that out of here.

I think it’s time for all American fellows leave your 6 liter engines at home...
At least think on the environment...:)


Of course this would be a good thing. But the problem is everyone like powerful engines. Europe does, the USA does, and soon everyone else will.

In Europe's case, you have had extremely expensive gas prices for decades. Whether you like powerful engines, the price forced efficient engines. It may do the same here.

Yeah, your absolutely correct. What's your point? Are you jealous or mad?Your thoughts are on the verge of starting serious political and cultural controversy and we tend to try and keep that out of here.
Oh, I don't know that António's post is all that serious a matter, Randy. He stated pretty well established facts. See this post with oil use graph by country (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=145985&postcount=489) in this thread.

As to the opinion of people in the US moving to smaller cars and less dependence on oil, from a global standpoint I think he's correct - But I've been a mass transit supporter (especially trains and related systems) since the 1960s when I first travelled abroad and I still think mass transit makes sense. And I remember living in England in 1965 - The apartment in Wimbledon where I lived was heated by the building's central furnace. It wasn't turnd on until mid- to late November and by golly the first warm spell that furnace was turned off. Water heaters were 'On Demand' thus very energy efficient. I guess my point is we in the US will be learning what people in most other countries have had to do for years, which is to live with high energy prices.

I would hope the post does not become a serious political and cultural controversy. I see no reason why it should. Now, let's get back to the price of gasoline around the world which is the discussion topic focus.

In South Florida, USA the prices are ranging between: $2.92-$3.10 USD per gallon.

Coury Ferguson


Just went up to over $3.16 (Regular) per Gallon. West Palm Beach County has one of the highest gas costs verses North Florida


Coury Ferguson

Did you know that the US has 3% of world’s population and spends 22% of all the oil's world production?Yes but it has almost the highest per capita GDP, second only to Luxembourg.

I paid 2.83 a gallon yesterday in Central Ga.

$3.39 for super-duper unleaded in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Has anyone been to the www.gasbuddy.com website?

It was never my intension to start anything political here!
I’m sorry If I offended you and your way of living.
Unfortunately I can’t write here what almost everybody here thinks about oil consummation in the US, because that in fact could be seen as a “serious political and cultural controversy”.
I just wrote soft comments...
We have to learn from each other, and I think US should learn a little bit with EU and Japan on saving energy.
In other subjects, I’m pretty sure that we have lots of things to learn from US!
Anyway, in the past week unleaded 95 Octane went up more 0,1 €/Litre..., and that worry’s me a lot.

AV:bigwave: