Are the refineries really as concentrated in the Gulf as they

[cornermouse]

appear to be? And if so, why?

It seems to me that Katrina and Rita have made an argument for building future refineries on the other coasts.

[teryang]

1. They don't want to build more refineries

The speculation is that they know about peak oil and no more refinerery capacity is needed.

I have another question. How can crude prices drop like a stone when refinery damage is alleged to be minimal? How can crude prices drop when the condition of offshore platforms in West Cameron directly in the path of the eyewall is not yet reported?

[cornermouse]

2. Not to mention the conflicting reports of actual damage.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. I don't know how the prices can go up and down like Marilyn

Monroe's skirt.... (really) but the stock market activity (the whole scheme) just sorta blows my mind. I am sure you could write "preemptively" what the stock market is going to do for the next year... and it wouldn't be too far off.


Today things are worth this much, tomorrow they are worth that much and back and forth and back and forth and so on. The Nikke (sp) is down, the Nikke is up and down and up.... seems to me that they could just settle on a number in between and knock it all off. (Trust me, I understand the whys and hows of it... but really, when you think about it... it's sort of, I don't know.. surreal.