Do you have any evidence that Shell or any of the others stalled working out a deal with USW? This is just a theory, right? One that begins with a "C"?

You got me Donger. As it is with the Fed Gov, corporate board rooms are on the level about every thing.

I'm just asking. I just think it's interesting that you'd think they would do that. If the energy companies really wanted to artificially increase the cost of gasoline, they'd slow down production of crude.

That is not true at all. They'll do whatever it is they have to do at the time.

Like conspiring with the USW strikers?

Of course the energy companies are going to try to maximize PM, just like every other business. I also realize that energy companies and fuel prices get people agitated for whatever reason(s). But there is NO evidence at all that the conspiracy you suggest above happened. And, it looks like not all the strikers are going to accept the deal anyway. Sorry, I mean Shell and the others reneged or something...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0MC1RT20150316

(Reuters) - A tentative national agreement to end a six-week strike at twelve U.S. refineries has struggled to win ratification at eight plants as workers and companies struggle to settle local issues, according to union officials.

The deal reached on Thursday by the United Steelworkers (USW) and lead industry negotiator Royal Dutch Shell Plc to end the biggest walkout of its kind in 35 years is showing signs of quick passage at just four plants.

The four sites where the deal is finding support and progress is being made on local issues are at facilities owned or co-owned by Shell.

Workers at these plants, which include three Motiva Enterprises refineries, have scheduled or are expected to hold votes this week to ratify the agreement. They could be back at work next week.

But local labor talks were stalled at other plants as union chapters try to address issues not covered by the national deal that defines rules for pay, healthcare and safety.

The delays mean companies will have to continue relying on temporary workers to keep their plants running. The stoppages affected plants with a fifth of U.S. crude processing capacity.

"(The)fight continues at Tesoro, Lyondell, BP, Marathon and others still face challenges with local issues," the USW said Sunday.

Lyondell Basell Industries broke off negotiations on Saturday with the USW chapter from its Houston refinery, the union said.

The company halted talks claiming 'the Union needed a cooling off period,'" USW local 13-227 said in a letter to its members.

It said the company negotiators provided no further explanation. Lyondell spokesman George Smalley said the company would not comment for now.

A source familiar with the talks said the company may be waiting to see if more workers cross the picket line at the plant. About 10 percent of the more than 400 workers represented by USW local 13-227 have returned to work there.

On Friday, the USW said a strike at the Marathon Petroleum Corp's Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, would continue at least until the company agrees to accept the national settlement reached last week

A Marathon spokesman said the company would be meeting with the union but would have no further comment.

Other strikes are at three Tesoro Corp West Coast refineries, BP Plc's Whiting, Indiana refinery and BP's joint-venture refinery in Toledo, Ohio with Husky Energy.

Who said they were conspiring with the USW?? Damn, dude, keep up.

I said they refused to negotiate a deal they knew they were going to have to negotiate. That is not conspiring with the USW. That's exploiting them. No wonder you suck at this.

I was just seeing how far the conspiracy went. How do you know that the strikers and Shell aren't?

Now that that's out of the way, how do you explain that some of the strikers have agreed to the deal and others haven't? That's all the fault of the energy companies, right?

Anyway, just as a reference point, crude hit $32.80 as a low back in December 2008, during the recession. It would be stunning if that point is reached just on fundamentals.

Where? It dropped at least 3c overnight on the eastern edge of KC.

Gas jumped 20 cents here yesterday after dropping 30 the 2 weeks prior.

2.37

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Oil futures jumped past $50 a barrel on Thursday, headed for their fifth straight daily gain as Saudi Arabian airstrikes in Yemen raised fresh concerns over potential disruptions to crude supplies.

May crude CLK5, +1.79% climbed 98 cents, or 2%, to $50.19 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It hit an intraday high of $52.48 a barrel, according to FactSet data.

Never realized how much oil Yemen produced......:)

Crude back up to $55.00

Sorry.

Gas prices have jumped 12 cents the last couple of days here.