Near Record Gas prices, may break record this weekend ($3.34 in SF)

[n2doc]

Record gasoline prices expected by this weekend
David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, March 29, 2007

(03-29) 15:26 PDT -- Surging gasoline prices will likely push the cost of filling up in San Francisco to a record this weekend, topping the previous high of $3.36 per gallon perhaps as early as Friday.
Some stations in the city have already passed that old record, set last May. Although the city's average price for gallon of regular reached $3.34 Thursday, individual stations were charging as much as $3.83.
The unhappy milestone comes as gasoline prices are heading higher throughout California and the rest of the country. San Francisco still has the most expensive gas of any city surveyed by the AAA auto club. The state's average now stands at $3.22, while the U.S. average is $2.62.
California is now the only state whose average gasoline price tops $3, although Hawaii may hit that mark this weekend.
Just two weeks ago, it looked like San Francisco and the rest of the country would finally get a break at the pump. Prices for crude oil, gasoline's main ingredient, were falling. Analysts predicted that this spring's stunning run-up in gasoline prices would end.
Instead, escalating tension with Iran forced oil prices sharply higher. Gas prices followed suit.
In addition, the nation's gasoline refineries continued to be plagued by mechanical problems, cutting their production of fuel. The refineries that are up and running are making far fatter profit margins than they typically do. By one rough calculation, refinery margins on the West Coast have more than doubled since last fall.
E-mail David R. Baker at [e-mail].

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/29/BUGVOOUCF77.DTL

[villager]

1. an actual government would smash these rapacious "free enterprise" companies

....into millions of little pieces...

[ronnykmarshall]

2. We're at $3.27 in LA.

This is in the East LA area where I work.

I'll have to check what's the price in the Westside.

SF had ALWAYS been the highest in the nation.

[bobbolink]

6. Higher than Hawai'i?

I always thought Hawai'i was the highest in the nation for gas prices...

:shrug:

[ronnykmarshall]

9. Yeah, isn't that crazy?

Hawai'i is still under $3.

[Initech]

3. I paid $3.17 last night.

:grr:

[jaysunb]

4. I paid $3.53 today,

for 91 grade here in Pasadena,, up a dime from last fillup on Monday. SHiiit !! :evilfrown:

[ronnykmarshall]

10. In Monterey Park / Montebello

At a two different Valero stations one was 3.21 and another was 3.16. But that's still up a dime from yesterday.

[Imagevision]

5. Intense! I thought paying $2.69 in Ft. Myers Fla. was bad. Imagine where prices will be when Bush

is finished fucking the country up!

[maveric]

7. $3.21 average here in San Diego.

It'll be $4.00+ by July 4th.
And the oil companies are making "record profits"?
What bullshit!

[Duncan Grant]

8. Husband spent $51.00 to fill up the car yesterday.

He called me from the gas station to play the "guess how much I just spent on gas" game. It's an Accord, btw. :wow:

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Good god.

Luckly for us, my ol' ball and chain has a much shorter commute than before. I've got a 40 mile round trip commute. Thank god I have a Honda Civic.

[Duncan Grant]

12. I saw a station at $3.49 per gallon earlier this week.

Maybe it's time to invest in firms that are affiliated with the public transit industry? :hi: