I bet you didn't know!

[atholon]

I think they will choose option #2.

It is really frustrating that the oil companies are getting away will doing this garbage. Guess it is because good old Bush and Cheney (or however you spell it) are in the oil business. Maybe if Kerry was elected the ketchup prices would climb 20 cents every two weeks.

[Dr. Bullet]

There is nothing to get away with...they offer a service, you choose to buy it or not. Also, it's not as if the CEO's and shareholders of the oil companies set these high prices. There are things to consider:

*approximately half the cost of fuel is the cost of crude oil, which is controlled by whatever entity drills for it. Most of our domestic refineries run off foreign oil.

*there is the cost of refining it. This cost entails man power, as well as energy to actually refine it.

*the cost of shipping. It costs money to put fuel in the pipeline. It costs money to truck it to the stations. Remember that the vehicles used to truck the gas also run on fuel. That means that it is costing the companies more to truck it.

*the oil company has to profit from doing business. This money has to pay for all the workers (and there are plenty), scientists, and re-investment.

According to my calculations, this all adds up to about 2.58 per gallon, assuming there is a 18 cent federal tax, 16 cent state tax, and 8 cent profit for the station, and gas is $3.00 per gallon. That means that $1.50 of that is just for the oil. That leaves only $1.08 per gallon to be split between all those costs I talked about. From here, we can make several approximate conclusions:

*It costs the oil company plus or minus $1.50 per gallon just to run their trucks. It would be more, but this is assuming they charge for delivery, which they do. Those trucks get awful mileage.

*The $1.08 left has to be split between employees and costs, and that includes refining. Using the same asumptions as above, 54 cents of that is the cost to refine it.

*That's only 54 cents per gallon to split between all the other costs..

*The disaster area was a huge oil refining and trucking center. Without it, fuel has to be trucked longer distances. This goes back to the cost of fuel for the company itself.


Yes, they are rich companies run by wealthy men. However, when you have a product that is in such demand as fuel, you can't help but become rich. As I said before, they're charging the most they possibly can for fuel, but that was somewhat misleading. The free market makes it so that the highest charge possible is in actuality the lowest they can charge without suffering losses. They realize the cost of fuel isn't preferable to anyone, and are thus going to try to undercut their competitors as much as possible.


If anyone knows the name of these evil oil companies that Bush and Cheney own, please post them. I can't seem to find their names. I'm not saying they don't exist, I'd just like to do a little research.


I have a class, so I'll have to get back to you on the monopoly thing. Right now, all I can say is, monopoly is used much to liberally.

[atholon]

Ok w/e...

I hope we get some major ethanol production going on.

[JonM]

Your not exactly thinking straight atholon, I agree, they may be greedy, but they saw a chance, and grabbed just as we would and do . I mean there are other things, they were greedy but there's nothing we can do except go on buying it. Their walking a thin line right now. Any higher and they will lose money, any lower they lose money .

[Lakie]

and dont forget that there is the fundamental problem that the publicly traded comapnies that deal in this i believe have a legal obligation to maximise profits for their shareholders.

Which has to be the greatest excuse ever for oil prices "Sorry but we are required by law to sell this for as much money as possible"

[atholon]

I guess that's true but when things like Jeff said keep happening...

They are over that fine line and the father over they go the more pissed off customers will be.

If a car manufacturer was smart enough to come out with a hydrogen car or some other alt fuel car and mass produce it like Toyota was for the Hybrid Prius they would make a killing if they kept it 50 cents under the price of gasoline. NTM they could have control of that fuel market.

NTM gas prices are reponsible for inflation...digs up the report on its effect...darn it is on the other PC.

Anyway, gas prices are having other effects such as companies rasing their prices to deal with the gas hikes.

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by atholon
I guess that's true but when things like Jeff said keep happening...

They are over that fine line and the father over they go the more pissed off customers will be.

If a car manufacturer was smart enough to come out with a hydrogen car or some other alt fuel car and mass produce it like Toyota was for the Hybrid Prius they would make a killing if they kept it 50 cents under the price of gasoline. NTM they could have control of that fuel market.

NTM gas prices are reponsible for inflation...digs up the report on its effect...darn it is on the other PC.

Anyway, gas prices are having other effects such as companies rasing their prices to deal with the gas hikes.

There must be a market for the car before its produced, its not just as simple as develop a car and then massprudusing it making tons of money, there are alot more to it! You have to be able to support the costs. (Developing a whole new car and engine is Extreemly expencive)

There are more and more Enthanol and bi-fuel cars being developed, they can't push it to fast though. They need to survive. But if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, they are allready there. Such as Volvo S40, S60, V70 Bi-fuel

And many petrol cars can run ethanol with or without a modification.

[atholon]

Yeah but look at Toyota they pulled off mass production and they are making bank on it.

PS sorry troj for hijacking your thread. This is supposed to be about Iraq.

Have you guys seen that email that "contains images that are too graphic for the mainstream media?"

[Hellfighter]

Originally posted by BB/Mike*MFA*
Only way oil would go down in price is if another technology took over from it, even if the whole world went on a protest strike (and how many will really..) it just means that they stop supplying it and turn the stations off, were the ones that need it and the oil barrons have enbough money to last them for any strike.

Oil isnt being replenished as were taking it, there is a significant deficet, its not like a million barrells are being made every time a oil barge leaves or anything.

The other major problem is consumption, if the world stopped development and remained as is then the oil would last a long long time, but countries like china, indonesia and india are going to introduce a whole new market like the world has never known, hence output will be higher and the oil reserves will deplete quicker.

Those 3 countries represent about (i think) 2.5 billion people (over a third of the worlds population) all of who previously didnt really have any oil consumption to speak of, but in the future..

the thing is if they made more fuel price will go down. big oil companys have their heads up (you know were) to jackup the price. we have a lot of oil but making into fuel is another thing, when they make to much fuel price go down but they stop that and making less fuel to raise the price up. in the end they are making the public pay more for fuel by blackballing us all or black mail us all. counts how you look at it.

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by atholon
Yeah but look at Toyota they pulled off mass production and they are making bank on it.

PS sorry troj for hijacking your thread. This is supposed to be about Iraq.

Have you guys seen that email that "contains images that are too graphic for the mainstream media?"

Yeah but Toyota is in a class of their own

[atholon]

How so? Because they make their own engines? So do most car manufacturers like Mazda and Honda.

[Jeff]

Toyota cars, along with almost all european manufactured cars last 10x's longer than the average north american car today.

[atholon]

Got that right...did you know that ford was using Mazda engines in some of their sedans?

Mazda Honda and Toyota last a ton longer than american cars...wouldn't buy anything other than a mazda. Unless some US manufacturer could put out a decent car.

[Hellfighter]

Originally posted by Jeff
Toyota cars, along with almost all European manufactured cars last 10x's longer than the average north American car today.

yep that is totally true in the U.S they like to repair cars a lot even new car dealer ships make big money in replacement parts. so they make parts cheaper so they will break down faster.

i see 1960s cars still on the road but 1980s very little are still on the road. seem in the old days cars will last 20 years or more, but the newer cars be lucky they last 6mo to a year. very sad use Tobe American made cars were the outstanding car to buy, not any more. they are out-stand cars for parts to replacement buys.

i seen Toyota (emports) cars parts are way higher then American cars but they last 5-10 years without breaking down. real sad. a ford truck was the rock of the U.S but no more. you be lucky if a U.S-car/truck of this day & age last pass 5yrs

[Lakie]

Its cause your all driving vehicles that are designed to be out on the open road for long periods at a time or off road, not for urban stop-start living....

[Hellfighter]

will BB/Mike we like to drive a tank (cars were build to last) to run into poles and other thing, but now we do that it break and the pole stay as is. its like a egg you drop it break.

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by atholon
How so? Because they make their own engines? So do most car manufacturers like Mazda and Honda.

And Volvo, no its not that. Do you know anything about Toyota? They're special!

Toyota is the best manufacturer in the world basicly, give them an idea and they will have it made and massproduced faster then any other car company in the world. Most car companies (Volvo, Ford, Mazda etc) strive to become as good as Toyota in production. Forget about their cars and focus your energy at their production

I would rather buy a Volvo then a Toyota but I wish that Volvo was as good as toyota when it comes to production. Volvo is probebly second best after Toyota

Volvo was the first car company to get recognition for their production, a World Aword

A Volvo is built to last!

[Dr. Bullet]

Originally posted by Jeff
Toyota cars, along with almost all european manufactured cars last 10x's longer than the average north american car today.

That's because the majority of them are built with far east parts then assembled in Canada and Mexico. We do have plants here, but most of the American car company plants are elsewhere. Sad really.


Volvo makes a great car for sure. I wouldn't mind owning one.

[Lucky]

i think they should haul our troops out of there

[Trojan]

Originally posted by Jeff
Toyota cars, along with almost all european manufactured cars last 10x's longer than the average north american car today.

German Engineering was so advanced before WWII. lol, the Bug!