Future of Gas Prices

[Jason S]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/256f583c-7a83-11e1-8ae6-00144feab49a.html#axzz1rvWq3ime

This was a very interesting article about refining oil in the U.S. 

One thing it mentions was the Jones Act of 1920 which requires ships that go from one U.S. port to another U.S. port to fly the U.S. flag and employ American crews.  So you can't simply hire any shipping company to transport goods (oil) from say Houston to Philadelphia. Apparently, shipping firms that can meet the Jones Act requirements are in short supply. 

Ultimately, while there is West Texas crude that the east coast plants could refine, they can't because of the Jones Act limitations and wind up importing oil from Nigeria.

So while the U.S. is a net exporter of gasoline, the east coast may be having to import gasoline... According to the article, this gasoline may come from Europe.  Thus the gasoline would be purchased at their market price with any associated taxes added. 

[Stewart G Griffin]

Exactly, that's what Marketplace was saying----if you live near the refineries you are in luck, but if you live in say, philly then because of the weird Jones act, it is expensive to transport.

NPR is not all bad.


2) I'd like to make a suggestion and should probably start another thread, and that is to try to locate a station that sells only 100% gas vs. E10/E15.  And experiment with that if it is nearby and convenient for you.  This may help your MPG. 

http://pure-gas.org/

[Stewart G Griffin]

Gas here is currently $3.75.  Was $3.78 yesterday.  Regular.    Meanwhile a gallon of milk is $3.99.

Again, i don't think it is time to panic yet.

[Jason S]

Stewart G Griffin, there should be another thread focusing on ethanol... And maybe another focusing on energy...  And another on energy policy... However, starting with small potatoes, the ethanol mandate should be a topic of discussion.

[78 Chevyrado]

Could be worse, My grandad said back in the 20's, a gallon of gas cost his dad a half a days pay, Which with a minimum wage of $7.24  times 4 hours (though he worked 12 hour days)

comes out to for an 8 hour day:  $29 per gallon

for a 12 hour day  $43.44 per gallon.   that's made me rethink just how bad we actually have it.

I wonder how gas prices from the 1980's vs today compare to the dollar's buying power 1980's vs today.  I don't think it's off much, people are just freaking out because $60-$80 fill ups sound terrible.   but the dollar is getting more and more worthless everyday.

Slowly going the way of the Deutsche Mark...  well slower than the Deutsche Marks did.

Whoever wants to do the math...
When I started driving in 1996, I got $4.25 minimum wage and gas cost about $0.80 per gallon, where now minimum wage is $7.25 and gas is $3.80 or so...  whats the ratios?

What ratios can you older guys come up with, we know how much it costs now, but how much in the 70's?  the 60's?

[Grim 82]

Gas is cheaper now than it pretty much ever was. Debt backed fiat currency gives the illusion of high gas prices, because it takes alot more of our current monopoly money to pay at the pump, when in reality 3 silver dimes would buy you a gallon of gas in 1964, and the same 3 silver dimes buys you a little more than a gallon today.

[78 Chevyrado]

Irritating part of it all is that unless I goto my regular gas stations where they know me, I can't get a full tank of gas with cash.  Have to prepay, I think the prepay is BS since I don't believe gas is so expensive relatively speaking...   But I do see it's NOT BS  as the general population (the shady side)  will think they're getting screwed and steal.

So I try to use my card to pay at the pump, but when I have cash its a PITA.  they always ask "how much you want"?  I say "a full tank"   they say "how much is that"?  i say "don't know"

Being the smartalec I am though, I overpaid by a lot one day.   They hate making change for that.  I told em I got dual tanks and 10 gas cans in the bed, I need $350 worth pump 3.  they said ok.  i only filled one tank, topped it off.  and went inside for my change....  they acted like i was robbing them or something...  it was funny.

[bake74]

Irritating part of it all is that unless I goto my regular gas stations where they know me, I can't get a full tank of gas with cash.  Have to prepay, I think the prepay is BS 

     Welcome to the world us in Ca. have been living with for ever.  I barely remember when you could just pump gas without paying first.  A year ago I was in Colorado and walked inside to pay, the cashier looked at me funny and said pump the gas then pay.

[ssapach]

In Alberta we still have the luxury of filling before paying.  Most stations don't have any restrictions, while others might have a $$$ limit before the pump stops.  Then you need to pay before resetting and filling more.  It's usually around $100 or so.  Some places might have a "pay before fill" policy after a certain time for the night shift as well.

I also forked over the $$$ for a TDI Jetta a year ago.  The fuel mileage is amazing for a highway driver, but I still need a truck to do things every once in a while so I'm not totally immune to higher fuel prices.

[78 Chevyrado]

Irritating part of it all is that unless I goto my regular gas stations where they know me, I can't get a full tank of gas with cash.  Have to prepay, I think the prepay is BS 

     Welcome to the world us in Ca. have been living with for ever.  I barely remember when you could just pump gas without paying first.  A year ago I was in Colorado and walked inside to pay, the cashier looked at me funny and said pump the gas then pay.

Until Gas hit $3.00 you could still do that around here.  See, they did the same thing in the old days EXCEPT  it was a full service pump.  There was a guy who filled your car up for you right there.  I used to $5 and $10 it when i was broke, I can afford as much gas as I want now so I want a full tank.  thats all i know.

Only ONE gas station around here has the right idea.  QUICK TRIP.  they have a card they give you, once you give them your info, so if you do steal, they can find you, and I run it, fill up then go pay.  I absolutely WILL NOT PREPAY unless its an emergency and I'm far off from home. (In which case I have plenty on my bank card, but I like making waves)  May be dumb, but I will not do it, unless forced to.  They ask how much you want?  I say a full tank.  That was always a hurdel i wanted to pass when i was young and poor, not to $5 and $10 ever again, and I WILL NOT buy less than a full tank unless I'm forced into it.   I figured out how to bug them back though.  I tell em I want like $200  (and you have to explain to them why you need that much) then fill ONE tank and when I go back in to get  my change they act like I'm robbing them or something.  It's awesome...   They also trip out when I have somebody with me, and can park in the middle and use two pumps at the same time to fill both sides at the same time.  "what do you mean two pumps?  I get that a lot so i try to find ways to make it harder on them.  screw em, they screwin us, screw em back some.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Gas around here is still around $3.75 for regular 87 octane and exxon/mobil.


We really don't have very many pre-pay stations around here, except in the inner-city.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Not only have prices gone down lately----$3.56 for regular, but i noticed my mpg is going up.  Have you noticed this too?

[78 Chevyrado]

Literally We ARE PAYING FOR THIS CRAP!

http://www.skidubai.com/

Could never have existed without the US.

We shoudl drill here  I say go back to the 30's or so and take the same isolationist thoughst as before.  Only one thing we would be lacking in.  precious metals needed for computer development.  We dont need oil.  we have a 1000 year supply except for the piece of crap environmentalist who think 42 caribou are more important than 360M americans.  they are full of beetle dung.  I will punch one of them in the face if i meet them.  I promise my truck on that. 

[slammed79]

Being in the shape I'm in, I throw about $40 a week in my truck, almost 11 gallons, I miss the days when 40 would fill my tank. Also, all I use is quick trip or chevron gas. I notice worse milage with other stuff. The qt down the street from me is 3.79, and the one by my buddies place is 4-6 cents cheeper.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Well, the good news, if i heard correctly, is that i heard somewhere---i forgot where is that we've discovered lots of oil where we previously thought there was none and now supposedly we are going to surpass Saudi Arabia in oil production.