Oil Companies At It Again!

[pickenpieces]

I definitely missed all of your post - doh!

Its fine. You reiterated an important point.

Thanks, truly.

[docron]

Once again a major storm opens a window of opportunity for the already filthy rich oil companies.

I don't know where you're at, but since Thursday gas prices have risen 50 cents/gallon here. I reallize that oil is a supply and demand industry, but this just smacks of plain old fashioned greed.

When it was nearly $150/barrel, the price is about what it is now. That was in July, it's taken two months to decrease in price and now just one little disruption and back up again. Haven't these bastards made enough money? Can't they take a little hit? There are people that are really hurting from the high prices now, and this just makes it that much worse. This is one time where the government should step in and say the party's over.

get the fk outa here with this

[Dzldoc]

^ Gee, let me take a quote from a previous post of mine.

Our refineries are only at about 85% capacity, so the worry about losing 25% of the refining process could be negated by the refineries beefing up to 100% capacity during the lull. So we would only have about a 10% slowdown.

Not to mention keeping those millions of gallons in the US that are shipped out each year.

So, they say ~25% of our refineries are in the Houston area. We are only at 85% production now, my math may be a bit skewed but if the refineries that are already built and functioning go to 100% right now, if the Houston area ones are shut down awhile, we would only be 10% down.

Im glad you reiterated my post and gave me the opportunity to show mine again.

That is because you can't run at 100% ever. 15% of a refinery is always down for maintenance... Doh!

Can't change the oil in your car while it's running ya know?

[pickenpieces]

That is because you cant run at 100% ever. 15% of a refinery is always down for maintenance... Doh!

Cant change the oil in your car while its running ya know?

So then they ARE running at 100% capacity of what theyre capable of.

OK.

Nevermind.

*strappin on the saddle to my ass, err, mule.

[danelectro59]

get the fk outa here with this

Why?

You work for them, or you got so much money it don't matter to you?

[wanna be drummer]

Why?

You work for them, or you got so much money it don't matter to you?

Why should the government step in to stop a perfectly legal enterprise? They're making money...that's what all businesses try to do. That's the point of the free market.

[wanna be drummer]

What?

[danelectro59]

Why should the government step in to stop a perfectly legal enterprise? They're making money...that's what all businesses try to do. That's the point of the free market.

Who said anything about stopping them? I didn't. I think they need regulation, since nearly everyone needs petrol. Yes, the consumer has responsibility as well and should conserve where they can. Cut down unnecessary trips would be a start. But you know as well as I do, that the government holds billions of gallons worth of fuel in storage in case of a national crisis. They could release some of that and it would roll back the prices. Of course, with an oilman in the White House, not likely to happen anytime soon.

I swear you detractors must not drive automobiles.

[wanna be drummer]

Who said anything about stopping them? I didn't. I think they need regulation, since nearly everyone needs petrol. Yes, the consumer has responsibility as well and should conserve where they can. Cut down unnecessary trips would be a start. But you know as well as I do, that the government holds billions of gallons worth of fuel in storage in case of a national crisis. They could release some of that and it would roll back the prices. Of course, with an oilman in the White House, not likely to happen anytime soon.

I swear you detractors must not drive automobiles.

That spare fuel is for extreme crises or for whenever the military desperately needs it. It's not to just be released to the public when gas goes up a coupla bucks.

And this would definitely be government stepping in. Giving gas away would decrease the amount of profit that oil companies make and this would jack the economy in other ways. Yeah, we'd have cheaper gas but oil companies would lose out on some major profits, which are always taxed so the government would lose money also.

The gas issue right now is too complicated for simple answers like, "Give away oil Mr. Government."

[danelectro59]

That spare fuel is for extreme crises or for whenever the military desperately needs it. It's not to just be released to the public when gas goes up a coupla bucks.

And this would definitely be government stepping in. Giving gas away would decrease the amount of profit that oil companies make and this would jack the economy in other ways. Yeah, we'd have cheaper gas but oil companies would lose out on some major profits, which are always taxed so the government would lose money also.

The gas issue right now is too complicated for simple answers like, "Give away oil Mr. Government."

I see we reside in the same state, but we live on different planets, man. I struggle to make a living and this increase in the last 6 months has really bit into my budget. It's to a point where I can't cut no more, yet the oil companies are making so much profit, they don't know what to do with it all. Why can't I feel sorry for them?

[wanna be drummer]

I see we reside in the same state, but we live on different planets, man. I struggle to make a living and this increase in the last 6 months has really bit into my budget. It's to a point where I can't cut no more, yet the oil companies are making so much profit, they don't know what to do with it all. Why can't I feel sorry for them?

Feel sorry for them? If you cut even a billion into their profits, you think the big greedy CEOs are going to take the hit? HA! That's the great thing about being a CEO, you don't ever have to take the hit. They'd just make a billion dollars worth of job cuts on the lower level positions, forcing more people into unemployment. So, you don't have to feel sorry for the owners or the Preisdents, etc. but cutting into their profits just puts the burden on those whose jobs would be at risk, like janitors or someone without a real skillful job. All because the government wanted to lower gas prices?

I apologize for your status dude, really I am. But you can't take it out on oil companies. They're just doing what every company in the world does - make money. How can you punish success?

[danelectro59]

How can you punish success?

You storm the palace, dude!

[wanna be drummer]

So...punish someone for being a good businessman.

Yeah that makes sense. I'm sure the economy would run much smoother if that happened more often

[danelectro59]

So...punish someone for being a good businessman.

Yeah that makes sense. I'm sure the economy would run much smoother if that happened more often

Who's doing the punishing?

[wanna be drummer]

Who's doing the punishing?

You are saying that the government should, in essence, step in by releasing its oil reserves. That would be, essentially, punishing the oil companies simply because they increased their prices.

[danelectro59]

You are saying that the government should, in essence, step in by releasing its oil reserves. That would be, essentially, punishing the oil companies simply because they increased their prices.

No, that would alleviate any temporary shortage which drives up the price. When prices get back to normal, the gov't can restock. It's been done before. What get's me, and I know i'm not alone here, is that Washington can bail out a failing financial institution with $86 billion of taxpayer's money, yet can't help save a few bucks at the gas pump. Go figure.

[wanna be drummer]

No, that would alleviate any temporary shortage which drives up the price. When prices get back to normal, the gov't can restock. It's been done before. What get's me, and I know i'm not alone here, is that Washington can bail out a failing financial institution with $86 billion of taxpayer's money, yet can't help save a few bucks at the gas pump. Go figure.

And where will the government get the money to buy more oil for its reserves hmm? Tax people? That, coupled with the enormous increase in gasoline that oil companies would make to pay for its losses, would be devastating to the taxpayers of our country.

They would borrow money too, so then we'd be in even mroe debt. Releasing that oil now would make zero sense

[Bong-Man]

oil up $25 bucks a barrel....largest one day increase ever.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/15/news/econo...sion=2008092213

[danelectro59]

And where will the government get the money to buy more oil for its reserves hmm? Tax people? That, coupled with the enormous increase in gasoline that oil companies would make to pay for its losses, would be devastating to the taxpayers of our country.

They would borrow money too, so then we'd be in even mroe debt. Releasing that oil now would make zero sense

It just shot up big time today, so you should be very happy

[wanna be drummer]

It just shot up big time today, so you should be very happy

Why?

I'd be pissed if I was driving today.

I don't love oil companies, but I'm not going to call for their undoing because they're successful