Gasoline at $4 Coming to a Pump Near You, Unfazed by Rising Tab

[Donger]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=afOlUzd30YOo

Pretty alarmist, IMO, but possible.

Spoiler!

April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Whether it's $50 to fill up your Prius or $130 for the Ford Expedition, $4-a-gallon gasoline is coming to a pump near you.

Fuel prices are rising at a pace not seen since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita knocked out a third of the U.S. oil refining industry in 2005. Gasoline consumption is climbing twice as fast as last year and will accelerate when summer travel begins late next month.

``What we're surprised by is the increased demand,'' said James Mulva, chief executive officer at ConocoPhillips, whose refineries from California to New Jersey produce 56 million gallons of gas a day, enough to meet 14 percent of the country's needs. ``Even though the price of gasoline is up, the demand is up,'' he said in an April 12 interview in Houston.

Population gains and U.S. economic growth are causing an increase in fuel purchases, according to Orlando, Florida-based AAA, the nation's largest organization for motorists. The U.S. economy will expand at a 2.4 percent annual pace in the second quarter, up from 1.8 percent in the first three months, according to the median estimate of 74 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Gasoline use is rising almost 5 percent above the five-year average.

Americans are resigned to higher prices, says David Pursell, a principal with Pickering Energy Partners, a consulting firm in Houston.

``Last year, we had pump prices well over $3 for the summer and gasoline demand was up,'' Pursell said in an interview. ``Would $4 gasoline cause demand contraction? I think it will, but I also thought $3 gasoline would.''

Pump Prices

Gasoline inventories, measured by the days of demand they will cover, are at the lowest level in two decades for this time of year because of refinery fires, power failures and maintenance work oil companies failed to complete in 2006. No new U.S. refinery has been built in three decades, increasing the strain on existing plants.

Pump prices in the U.S. may increase to $4 a gallon from a nationwide average of $2.87 today, especially if hurricanes threaten Gulf of Mexico refineries, says Peter Beutel, an analyst at Cameron Hanover Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut, who helps industrial consumers manage energy costs.

``Hurricanes are always the huge wild card,'' said Beutel. ``We're all praying for a year like 2006 rather than 2005.''

The June-to-November Atlantic Ocean hurricane season may produce 17 tropical storms, with nine reaching hurricane force and four becoming major hurricanes whose winds exceed 111 miles per hour (179 kilometers per hour), London-based forecasters at Tropical Storm Risk said. Some of the storms will strike the Gulf Coast this year after a benign 2006, AccuWeather.com predicted.

Inflation Risk

Higher pump prices will make winners of refinery owners such as ConocoPhillips, San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc of The Hague. Shares of Valero and Sunoco Inc., whose only business is refining, are rebounding after a decline at the end of last summer.

The increase in fuel costs threatens to quicken inflation and restrain consumer spending in the U.S. An appreciation to $4 a gallon would add more than $10 for a driver who fills the 12- gallon tank of a Toyota Motor Corp. Prius. The owner of an Expedition, a Ford Motor Co. sport-utility vehicle with a 34- gallon capacity, faces an increase of almost $40.

Many Americans have no choice but to drive more, says Christopher Knittel, an economist who studies fuel consumption at the University of California in Davis.

More Commuters

``We live farther from our jobs than we did in the 1970s, and with the rise of dual-income households, we now have two people who drive those distances every day,'' Knittel said.

Consumers also do more driving for things such as taking children to soccer practice, which they are unlikely to quit, he said. The U.S. population has increased 1 percent a year in the past decade to 301 million in 2007, adding to demand for gasoline, economists said.

Rising fuel prices make it less likely that Federal Reserve policy makers, who have cited inflation risks for the past year, will cut interest rates to spur economic growth. Before the hurricane-induced peak in 2005, U.S. gasoline topped out at $1.42 a gallon in March 1981, or $3.21 when adjusted for inflation, according to the Energy Department.

Economies in Europe and Asia are less likely to be hurt by gasoline prices because fuel already is subject to high taxes designed to encourage conservation. A gallon of unleaded costs about 3.25 pounds a gallon ($6.49) in the U.K., and in Japan it's 130.3 yen per liter ($4.16 a gallon).

$4 Barrier

U.S. consumers will get little relief on gasoline prices from Europe this year, unlike 2005, when oil companies shipped more across the Atlantic after the hurricanes. Europe's gasoline inventories in February were 114.2 million barrels, down 11 percent from two years earlier, according to the International Energy Agency in Paris. The drop in Europe was almost twice the 5.7 percent decline in U.S. supplies in that time.

``Just as we used to think $3 a gallon was an impenetrable barrier, now it's $4,'' said Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business in College Park and former chief economist for the U.S. International Trade Commission. Gasoline at $3.50 is likely, Morici said, and a conflict with Iran or any event that disrupts crude supplies may push it to $4.

Pump prices rose 33 percent in the past 11 weeks, the fastest rate of gain since a six-week, 34 percent rally to the record $3.069 in September 2005, Energy Department data show.

Bodman's `Worry'

U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman in an interview last week said the national average pump price could break the record this summer. While his agency's official forecast is for gasoline to peak next month at about where it is today, hurricanes, refinery closures or crude oil supply cuts may send prices higher, he said.

Higher prices are ``a legitimate worry,'' Bodman said. ``We have trouble spots all over the world'' that could boost crude oil prices. ``We're in a very tight situation.''

Spending on fuel in the U.S. consumes half as much household income as in the early 1980s, which means gasoline would need to reach almost $6 a gallon to have the same effect on the economy as in 1981, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Storage tanks at U.S. refineries, terminals and ports hold enough gasoline to cover almost 22 days of domestic demand, 8.2 percent less than the five-year average and the lowest for this time of year since the 1980s, Energy Department figures show.

Shortages

Valero-owned filling stations in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, ran dry after a Feb. 16 explosion and fire shut the company's McKee refinery in Sunray, Texas. A day earlier, a blaze at an Exxon Mobil Corp. plant in Nanticoke, Ontario, slashed output, resulting in shortages and higher prices across eastern Canada.

The McKee shutdown strained supplies so much that ConocoPhillips postponed maintenance at its Borger, Texas, refinery north of Amarillo to prevent shortages in the region.

``Refineries are becoming more complex,'' Mulva said in the Houston interview. ``What we're finding is it's more difficult keeping reliability up with more sophisticated pieces of equipment that are highly integrated.''

Tesoro Corp. of San Antonio, the second-largest refiner in the western U.S., said first-quarter refinery use dropped because oil companies delayed until this year maintenance that could have been done in 2006. The portion of U.S. refining capacity that was in operation in the first quarter declined to 87.3 percent from 88.9 percent a year earlier, according to Energy Department data.

`Refineries Blow Up'

``Prices will depend entirely on whether we have a couple of refineries blow up,'' said Philip K. Verleger, an economist who runs a consulting firm in Newport Beach, California. ``It's almost impossible we'll get to $4 a gallon if all the refineries run well this summer. But if something happens and there are problems, then anything's possible.''

The average share gain for Valero, Tesoro and six other oil-refining companies is 26 percent this year, outperforming the 4.1 percent gain for Exxon Mobil and a 4.7 percent increase for the Standard & Poor's 500 index.

The shares will continue to rally, said Paul Carlson, who helps manage $3 billion at HGK Asset Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.

``Refiners are doing very well these days,'' said Carlson, whose holdings include ConocoPhillips, the second-biggest U.S. refiner. ``There will be lots of demand for any new refining stocks.''

`Back in Favor'

As recently as August, investors were selling oil refiners on concern an economic slowdown would slash fuel demand in the U.S., the world's largest energy market. During seven weeks last August and September, Valero shares fell 29 percent, wiping out $12 billion in market value.

``Refining is very much back in favor,'' said Douglas Ober, who helps oversee $2.3 billion at Baltimore-based Adams Express Co. ``Even with higher prices, we haven't seen any substantial cutback in demand. They're cranking out as much of this stuff as they can, and we're throwing it in our tanks as fast as we can.''

The margin earned from processing crude oil into fuels rose to $24.68 a barrel on April 11, the highest since right after the hurricanes in September 2005. The margin has since retreated to $22.12 a barrel, still about double the five-year average.

``It'll be a fairly tight gasoline market all through the summer,'' said Robert Hinckley, an analyst at Rochdale Securities in New York.

[InChiefsHeaven]

Originally Posted by jjchieffan

Uh, gas aint the only thing they sell. Gas stations also sell lots of other products, and they gouge the hell out of you on that stuff too. Trust me, those f***ers are pocketing a mint.

Ummm...not so much:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/13/news...ex.htm?cnn=yes

Gas stations: A surprisingly small amount goes to the guy who runs the station.

Most service stations are independently owned and operated and take in between 7 and 10 cents for every gallon they sell, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

That 7 to 10 cents going to the gas station isn't even profit. Out of that, station owners still have to pay leases, workers, and other expenses - leaving them with a profit of just a few cents. For the service stations, most profit comes from selling coffee, cigarettes, food and other amenities.

These calculations are based off of EIA's most recent numbers, when gas was $3.04 a gallon. Gasoline hit another record nationwide average of $3.27 a gallon Thursday.

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by kcfanintitanhell

I guess I never considered that a criterion when I was in the market for a car. If what kind of car you drive enhances your chances of getting laid, you might want to do some serious soul searching.

don't worry. I ride a motorcycle and play MORE THAN WORDS on my guitar. No soul searching needed for me to let one go in a ho

[BigMeatballDave]

WTF? http://gasprices.mapquest.com/?area=national

[Donger]

Crude seems to be stabilizing somewhat in the mid to low-$60s. If that is the case, I would not expect gasoline to drop much below where it is now, which is $2.47/gallon.

[kcfanintitanhell]

It's funny how the price of crude has fallen off the radar, as far as being newsworthy. It used to be described on CNN, MSNBC, as SOARING, or PLUMMETING, now it has been over a week since it's even been mentioned.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Donger

Crude seems to be stabilizing somewhat in the mid to low-$60s. If that is the case, I would not expect gasoline to drop much below where it is now, which is $2.47/gallon.

I never thought I'd say this, but good. Inflation has driven the price of everything up. Homes, food, you name it. Gas should stay around this level. Would you agree Donger that if it continues to spiral downward that $4 gas would be the very least of our worries?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Mr Flopnuts

I never thought I'd say this, but good. Inflation has driven the price of everything up. Homes, food, you name it. Gas should stay around this level. Would you agree Donger that if it continues to spiral downward that $4 gas would be the very least of our worries?

It is now where the fundamentals justify the price, yes.

[Frazod]

According to the gas price website, the station closest to my house is at $2.35, which I'll have to see to believe. All the rest of the stations in the area are still about 30 cents more a gallon. I think it must be a typo.

[whoman69]

That gas website is way offbase. In Iowa midgrade prices are always lower because many stations have gasahol blend and the state subsidizes that. Even those who don't offer gasahol have to offer a lower price for midgrade in order to compete. Yet these sites always post a lower price for regular.

Right now gas here is $2.09 for midgrade. Just dropped another .06 this morning and has dropped more than a quarter this week.

[Chieftain58]

After the election the price of fuel will go up! It always does

[Chieftain58]

Do elections fuel pump prices?
We investigate the theory that as election poll numbers drop, so do gas prices.
By Jessica Heffner

Staff Writer

Friday, October 17, 2008

Extras
Photos
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Tammy Adams changes the price on a gas sign on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 16, at the Shamrock station on Central Avenue in Middletown.Click to enlargeMIDDLETOWN — In today's economy, everything is going down, including gas prices. But many residents are questioning whether that really has to do with the price of a barrel of crude, or crude election tactics.

"It seems like this happens every election year, especially when a Republican is fighting to take office," said 72-year-old Gus Harrison of Liberty Twp. while he filled up at the Kroger gas station in Monroe. "Gasoline prices have dropped to $2.50 a gallon or less in many states, and trust me, they are all the ones with the most electoral votes."

But the fact is, in the 10 states with the most electoral votes, the average price for a regular gallon of gas is still above $2.50, including Ohio, which is clocking in at $2.83, according to AAA's gas gauge.

In California, which carries the most electoral votes, gas is at $3.42, and No. 2 Texas is at $2.89.

While Republicans traditionally do have close ties to the oil industry, the idea that they can control pump prices is not credible, said William Craighead, assistant economics professor at Miami University in Oxford.

"It may be the case that a lot of people in the oil business prefer a Republican in power, but I find it pretty farfetched that (oil executives) would get together and coordinate to manipulate the market in this way," he said. "It would be too hard to get everyone together and keep it secret."

Besides, the president really doesn't have that much control over gas prices or the economy in general, he said.

"People want to think someone is in control, but that is not always the case," Craighead said. "Gas prices falling is the silver lining to a bad economy. It's is not because of George W. Bush. It would have done the same under McCain or Obama."

Gas prices typically fall this time of year, as statistics show, as refineries switch to the less costly winter blend of gas, said the American Automobile Association.

And while prices are lower now, Craighead warns that as the economy rebounds "energy prices will rise again. This is a temporary phenomenon."

[BigMeatballDave]

1.99

[Saulbadguy]

$1.99 in Topeka, finally!

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by frazod

According to the gas price website, the station closest to my house is at $2.35, which I'll have to see to believe. All the rest of the stations in the area are still about 30 cents more a gallon. I think it must be a typo.

This was a mistake - it's actually $2.55, which is pretty ****ing good for up here.

[jjchieffan]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

I hear ya, it sucks when businesses turn a profit.

I have no problem with a business making a profit. My problem is when they gouge consumers. I was responding to a post claiming that stations were essentially marking gas up by 40-50 cents and blaming it on high prices. That I have a problem with. I also refuse to buy anything off the shelves at a gas station. I WILL NOT pay 50% higher prices just for convenience.