Price of crude? Way below $40 in MT, WY, ND! Produces may stop pumping.

[havocmom]

And by the info I read on this a few weeks ago, at least some of this cheap oil is sweet crude. Our little ag interest weekly (not online, alas) had an article about WY sweet crude going for $32 a barrel!

So, Big Oil is robbing you at the pumps and robbing independent American producers at their end too. Ya don't suppose they intend to put the independents (and a lot of folks in agriculture who also happen to have the rights to the treasures under their soil) outta business do you? Nah, they'd never do something rotten like that. HA!

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/04/20/news/state/33-gov.txt

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Wednesday afternoon said the crisis needs to be solved quickly or the oil is going to stay in the ground at a time when the country really needs it.

Freudenthal and Gov. John Hoeven, of North Dakota, at the invitation of Gov. Brian Schweitzer, hosted a meeting of regional oil producers in Billings. Sharp price drops of $22 to $35 dollars a barrel since the end of February and beginning of March have oil producers scratching their heads.

Billings producer Mac Clark said someone ought to "make the refiners pay a fair price. If you take the oil, pay for it. There is something inherently wrong with taking the oil (at the lower price). Quit cheating us."

Next time YOUR GOP Congress weenie tells you 'We have to open up fragile federal land to drilling! We MUST increase domestic production...' Throw this fact in his/her face: WE HAVE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION! The refineries just won't pay the producers for it.

[Extend a Hand]

1. This is an outrage

But I don't guess we'll be seeing on CNN anytime soon. :mad:

[havocmom]

8. Prolly not. But I am thinking an email campaign to Dobbs or KO

might be worth a try.

[earthboundmisfit]

13. PLEASE DO contact Dobbs & Olbermann! This is such a slap in the face

to domestic producers - I'm flabbergasted.
When oil rose to the current high per barrel, I thought, "Well, at least the stateside producers will profit from this, too." But no. This is the most outrageous thing I've heard recently - and that's sayin' somethin'! :mad:

On edit: And way good on Gov. Schweitzer to hold the meeting - Schweitzer rocks and will work on getting this BS resolved!

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

:sarcasm:

[havocmom]

20. No big surprise that the politicians Big Oil owns won't really push

clean, renewable energy like wind for our power grid. And how many alternate energy autos have students at places like MIT come up with over the decades? How many patents did Big Oil and Big Auto buy in my lifetime? Probably way too many.

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. Got to squeeze every last drop of profit from oil, before we are allowed

clean, renewable energy, and the corps will find a way to make mega bucks on that energy while gouging us, again.

[TheFarseer]

2. That's the most unbelievable thing I've read

in a long time and yet I believe it. More proof that this is a manufactured crisis at least in large part. Shut off your pumps until those sons-of-bitches give you a fair price.

[havocmom]

10. Shutting off the pumps in western states is what they are talkin now.

And, if the DEMS don't jump on this as an issue in an area ripe for going blue, they are missing a good opportunity.

[IChing]

3. Read this to verify the OP's post

Profits, Not Crude Oil Prices Or Ethanol, Are Driving Pump Price Spike

Increases in the "spot" market price of crude oil --
which is the highest price a major oil company would pay for crude oil --
accounted for only 12 cents per gallon.

California's percentage sales tax increased fuel prices by another four cents per gallon.

More than 40 cents of the 60-cent increase in gasoline prices over 3 1/2 months is attributable to increased refinery and marketing profit margins for the oil companies;


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2579168

[havocmom]

7. Thanks for the backup, IChing. While I know oil is finite, lots here.

Big Oil just doesn't want anybody else profiting from it. So, refineries are stiffing local producers and letting America believe all the cost is due to some high living sheiks.

Inferring that brown people in Islamic states are the root of the problem seems part of the plan. Big Oil gouges the consumer while helping stoke the suspicion and hate against Middle Eastern and Persian nations which then allows for bad US foreign policy (that just happens to benifit...BIG OIL!)

It's sort of a covert version of the WMD lies to work up the masses for war. Keep people looking at those who are different as the root of all evil and the oil guys in DC can do pretty much what they want.

[rman]

15. "lots here"?

where?

[havocmom]

18. Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota

Ranchers sitting on oil and investing in drilling equipment. Now the refineries are jerking them around.

We have lots of coal... it starts out as oil, doesn't it? Not all of the coal is done gettin made just yet. There's gas too.

[TransitJohn]

21. Ah no.

Coal and oil/gas have complete different petrogenesises. Just nitpickin'. I'm a wellsite geologist and lifelong Wyoming resident. Thanks for posting. :hi:

[havocmom]

22. We got 'em all here. Some diamonds too.

Lots of dead plant & big reptile matter from long ago.

Wanna buy some coprolite? ;) Got some in the front yard.

[rman]

24. how much?

and when was it found?

[madrchsod]

4. i read last year in the journal of petroleum technology

that this summer there should be an increase in world supply and price reductions because of several new fields off of africa and others would be coming on line. i will read the newest jpt tonight and see what their figures are on supply and demand...

[havocmom]

9. We will still hear that the refineries are filled to capacity,

or maybe we will still have to dig for those facts. And we will still be paying through the nose, right up to the time next fall when they will hope to sock it to those using home heating oil. Hey, wouldn't that mean gas prices fall just in time for some elections? x(

[hlthe2b]

5. So why don't these "smart" Governors combine forces...

and build/buy out regional refineries? Wyoming has mineral rights profits and I suspect North and South Dakota have sufficient resources to invest. Of course this would drive the Bushies* crazy. Government-controlled oil production, in order to serve their people? How very Venezuelan (Chavez) or me to suggest!

[havocmom]

6. Those three states are land 'rich and dirt poor'

Lots of space, not many people. We have enough trouble keeping our long, long roads paved and small-town schools and clinics open. There is not much of a tax base here abouts. And I reckon starting up a state run refinery would mean a lot of permits and such. With oil men running the federal government and all the agencies, I seriously doubt any state would get the approvals they need to compete against Big Oil.

Montana's governor is promoting wind energy and diesel from coal for a short term fix as we work on other forms of getting from point A to point B.

As per the article I linked to, refineries are in CO. And they are flat out not gonna pay a fair price for the oil. My guess is, besides big profit$, the refinery companies are holding off building new facilities until the US citizens are so starved for oil and the economy it drives that we do their dirty work for them and insist Congress repeal all the clean air and other regulations on the oil business.

Thinking that is the point of cheap, powerless illegal immigrant labor too. It is not just the payroll big companies and rich pricks are saving on. They are saving big on payroll taxes like workers comp insurance payments, unemployment insurance payments and all the expense of following laws protecting worker safety and other protections. They will starve Americans until WE give up on them having some responsibilities too.

[karlrschneider]

11. Hm. I just got my March oil run statement from the Co-op refinery

that buys my oil in Illinois...they paid $59.50/bbl. Not sure what to make of it all...

[Joe Fields]

12. You KNOW that Bush knows all about this, and yet.......

just the other day he came on camera and said that igf there are reports of price gouging, we will investigate.

My ass!

[havocmom]

14. Hey, did anybody verify that report of a NYC station selling for $4 +

that was posted yesterday? Wasn't sure if any other papers or news blogs verified that report and was curious about it.

[leftstreet]

16. Never saw it confirmed. Lots of "experts" "predicting" $4 gal yesterday

Several "stories" yesterday claiming gas "could go as high as" $4 a gallon.

[havocmom]

17. Post yesterday about gas at Brooklyn Heights station = $4.14 per gallon

for self serve http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=969511
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x967987

Evidently, the station owner has small storage tanks and can't get much gas at a time so he is getting clobbered by suppliers.