Re: OT: Oil company profits (was: Beater economics)

From: Terrible Tom (SilverEightynine@aol.com)
Date: Sat Apr 07 2007 - 21:09:15 EDT


jon@dakota-truck.net wrote:

>
> I debated whether I should comment on this, and decided I probably
> shouldn't, but I am going to anyway. :-)

Well, you do raise some good points Jon. And I'm not pretending to
have any facts on the situation at all. I have done zero research on
the topic. I am well aware the cost of crude has a direct impact on the
  cost of gas, but I find it hard to believe that the companies only
make 10 cents per gallon, no matter what the cost of that gallon is...

The only way to properly measure the situation IS to have the facts.
Unfortunately, I don't think either you or I or the average Joe will
ever really know what is what. I have a serious distrust of the media
and of our government and those at the top of the corporate ladder.
Those people ultimately control the information. How do we really know
what the company makes on each gallon of gas? Are we privy to their
book keeping?

What I don't think can be explained away so easy... is why the cost of
gasoline seems to creep up higher and higher just before summer and just
before winter heating season. Yes yes there is that thing called supply
and demand. But I would be interested to see what the cost of crude is
compared to the increases.

Does the cost of crude always go up before peak driving season? Or do
the elite just happen to think its a good idea to raise prices prior to
the time when the most volume will be consumed?

Again, questions I don't think the populace will ever have answers to.

One bit of info I do remember was that it was just after the Katrina
hurricane season, that Exxon posted its record profits. Yes oil
refinement was seriously hurt during that disaster as the coastline rigs
and plants were knocked out. But the cost of gas skyrocketed at the
pump. You mean to tell me all that out of all that - the only gross
profit that was made was about 10 cents per gallon?

Politics and people have a greater impact on the cost of fuel than the
actual supply issues do. I think we can all agree on that... all one
must do to confirm that is to watch a bit of the evening news.

Like I said before, I just can't swallow the possibility that their
profit margin is so low. It will take a bit of persuading to change my
mind. And forgive me if I say that I don't trust news reports telling
me the benefits to my health that orange juice can have, when the anchor
ends the story saying the study was conducted by the Florida Orange
Growers Association.

-- 
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