Boycott Exxon/Mobil

[murffdog]

With the unfair high price of gas and fuel and Exxon/Mobil making billions in profit, boycott Exxon/Mobil. We know they supply the mom and pop stations which I am still a customer unless the sign says Mobil or Exxon. No need to comment!

[whodo]

Here is a report that was given before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1743&wit_id=4957

It is well worth the time to read and understand just what is actually going on.
Here is a small excerpt from this report:
Shell sold half its Deerpark refinery in Houston, Texas to the government of Mexico. Instead of a new Mexican refinery supplying gas and diesel to the U.S. market, over a million gallons of unleaded fuel per day flowed out of Houston to eastern ports in Mexico before and after Katrina. Out West where farmers, loggers, and truckers were painfully paying over $3 per gallon for diesel, cargoes from refineries in WA, CA, and HI cruised south to unload in Mexican ports on the Pacific side.

[whodo]

A little additional information, here is some interesting reading from OPEC;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24227497/

Here is a analysis of the OPEC statement given by "trop-a-cal"
The price would go down fast if the US dollar would go up. It has to go up 40 cents to drop fuel cost $1.00 at the pumps. All crude is sold in US dollars, so if the dollar is weak, crude is expensive. If the dollar is strong crude is cheap. The IMF,(International Monitary Fund), and The World Bank are attempting to boost the US dollar. They may take action this week. The dollar got stronger by 2 cents against the Euro last week just after the two IMF chiefs spoke about it needing to drop no further. If the Federal Reserve does not drop interest rates again, and the World Bank buys dollars it will cause the dollar to rise and crude to fall. That is still subject to the interruption of supply that causes the futures market to bet the price will go up, and by doing so, cause the price to move up. These Futures markets are being invested into by hedge funds, that have so much money, they can manipulate the market, by betting the price will go up. Then everyone else gets in on the bet and they drive it up. The hedge funds may have their rules changed so they can't have such an impact on the markets. Drilling in the US has begun and new finds, once documented, will drive down the world price. Shell is waiting for the ice to thicken in Alaska so the can use ground penetrating seismic equipment to locate spots to drill. They won the right to explore in February when the were high bidder for the drilling right. BP, Conoco, and Exxon will drill for natural gas in Alaska and pipe it to Chicago via a $30 US Billion pipe line if approved.

This analysis given by "trop-a-cal" can be viewed here http://www.openroadsforum.com/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21303843.cfm

[ladyliberty]

I am trying to boycott all gas stations at this time unless it is absoutley necessary....I am practically rationing the stuff at my house....staying home as much as possible.

[sirslink]

Very interesting reading WhoDo I kind of figured it had something to do with the strenth of the dollar and the market.
Thanks for sharing Slink

[namvet]

If you think boycotting any particual brand will help, you are mistaken. Gasoline is supplied by refineries and if you look around there isn't a refinery with each brand name on it in every local. One refinery will service all the local gas stations no matter what brand. Though each brand might have specific addtives they request for their deliveries and be user specific, they all come from the same place. The only person you are hurting when you boycott brands is the individual owners of a particular franchise. You are not hurting the refinery. The best way to drive down the price of fuel is to only buy fuel from the cut rate stations that offer it for less. Fuel is fuel. I have never used anything but the cheapest fuel I could buy from local stations and have never had a single problem. If your vehicle doesn't require premium, do not spend more thinking it is better for your car because it is not!! Learn about Octane. Octane is a detonation deterrent and premium fuel will actually reap you less mpg than regular. In other words, regular fuel is actually more volitol and reaps you more power than premium. Just the opposite of what most people think. Premium is only needed in high compression engines with a compression ratio of 10:1 or greater. Most engines that use regular have an 8:1 compression ratio.
Octane is used to prevent detonation. Nothing more. You can increase the octane or detonation deterrent of fuel by adding water injection or alchohol injection. Does that tell you anything? Competition will start when the guy asking 5 cents more for his fuel than the guy across the street isn't selling his more expensive fuel.
I have to shake my head when I see people buying fuel from a station with habitual higher prices just because it holds a brand name and they think it is better for their cars engine. That or buying from a particular station only because it is their regular spot and wish to show devotion to that station. Like they care and really know who you are....... silly. Buy from the cheapest source within your travels but don't drive out of your way 15 miles to get cheaper gas. That will drive down prices, nothing else.

[utmtman]

There is only one thing in this country that would help irregardless of all those other comments and that is more refineries in the US refining our oils only. We dont have the refineries to process our oils now to fuel. We are shipping our oils to other countries to be made into fuel. And we have hundreds of wells that are sitting capped waiting for a place to process.

[darwin]

Fact Check states that the profits on a gal. of gas and the tax on a gal. are about the same, depending on when and where you purchase. Oil companies profits are greater on other products and most are world wide compaines. I wish a boycott would help, and I would participate, but think it would be like dipping a cup of water out of the Mississippi River to prevent a flood.

[murffdog]

There are 8 gas stations within a 2 mile stretch near here. Prices last week ranged from 3.50 to 3.60 pg. with the local thief at 3.70 and another at 3.70. Yesterday, the thief was at 3.87 and all others were 3.75. Thief #1 and #2 weren't selling any gas so #2 decided he better get down with the others. Thief #1 made the papers and he's all upset but his price didn't change any. If a boycott doesn't work and if everybody would go to one station, those 8 stations would start a gas war like they did back in the late 70's. (Us locals are working on that) :)

[utmtman]

Afraid not, gas wars are against the law. And also higher priced stations are boycotted anyway for the most part since people will usually try to buy at a lower price any day of the week.
Interesting PS to this when you buy gas at one station it could be gas from any of the refineries. The company name means nothing with most gas stations. The tankers pick up gas at any number of refineries but a lot of refineries also buy refined fuel from other refineries. In other words the gas at a 5 and dime station could be Exxon, Mobile, Chevron, and be 10 cents cheaper than the name brand gas station across the street who bought the same gas but has to go by a set price by the name brand company or the owner or who knows what else.

[murffdog]

Gas wars against the law, never heard of that. I was in the gas business from 1963 to 1976 and I bought it from Mobil, I could give the gas away if I wanted to.

[utmtman]

I would have to disagree with you murffdog. Since 66 there has been a law nationwide that you could not sell more or less than a certain amount in an area. If you were in the fuel business than you know that and you know that the stations that raise their prices higher than can be fined and also loose business license. I owned and operated american oil stations in Montana, Utah, and Colorado. And I bought my fuel from American oil who brought it from refineries in three states and they were not all refineries for american oil.

[donnie]

Im not alltogether sure about this, but I heard something to the effect that the funds from Valero stations are going to Venezuela.:confused:

[jdensie]

I think it is Citco, not Valero

[murffdog]

I think it is Citco, not Valero

Correct, CITCO! The 2 in my area are always .06 to .10 higher than the guy next door, I can't understand it.

[papahog]

I will not buy gas from citgo. I have not for a long time. I would pay a quarter more a gallon across the street before I will spend a dime at citgo.

[dlrupper]

Instead of a boycott, get rid of the Democrats that caused our problem by not allowing a new refinery in 30 years or drilling offshore or in Alaska. The oil companies are not making anymore profit than any other company. Besides how many of your 401K stocks are in OIL companies. Get serious.

[murffdog]

Instead of a boycott, get rid of the Democrats that caused our problem by not allowing a new refinery in 30 years or drilling offshore or in Alaska. The oil companies are not making anymore profit than any other company. Besides how many of your 401K stocks are in OIL companies. Get serious.

It's just not the Democrats, the whole Congress has to be changed, VOTE OUT THE OLD GUYS, bring in the new. Todays news, gas companies made a profit in the first quarter of $21 BILLON, that is unconscionable with the economy as it is.

[utmtman]

First lets stop the whining enviromentalists and liberals. Than lets build some refineries and open the capped wells for all that oil sitting and waiting for processing. And while that is happening we need to raise interest rates to a point that we will all be hurting. But......... That will cause the dollars to again gain on the national markets bringing the cost of living back down, the oil prices back down, and the comparison of american against other countries currency to a controlable liveable amount.
I know it will hurt us all but hell we are hurting now from the high cost of everything that it can only make it better.