Time to chat about gas?

BlkTac05 said:
Today in West Texas, the cheapest premium gas I could find was $2.74 per gallon. It's getting ridiculous!
Click to expand...



Cheapest in my city that I saw for premium was $2.93, with a high of $3.09.. But I do agree, we have it cheap compared to most other countries.. I was in London in '03 and gas was hovering under $2/gal. I saw the price in London as 1.30 pounds.. I'm doing the calculations in my head, and figure its about the same... Only to suddenly realize it was in liters!! So 1.3x4=5.2/gal x 1.6 = $8.3 /gallon!!
 
Code: 
[b]Nation  	City  		Price in USD Regular/Gallon[/b]



Netherlands 	Amsterdam 	 $6.48

Norway 	        Oslo 	         $6.27

Italy 	        Milan 		 $5.96

Denmark         Copenhagen       $5.93

Belgium 	Brussels 	 $5.91

Sweden 	        Stockholm 	 $5.80

United Kingdom  London 		$5.79

Germany 	Frankfurt 	$5.57

France 		Paris 		$5.54

Portugal 	Lisbon 		$5.35

Hungary 	Budapest 	$4.94

Luxembourg 			$4.82

Croatia 	Zagreb 		$4.81

Ireland 	Dublin 		$4.78

Switzerland 	Geneva	 	$4.74

Spain 		Madrid 		$4.55

Japan 		Tokyo 		$4.24

Czech Republic 	Prague 		$4.19

Romania 	Bucharest 	$4.09

Andorra 			$4.08

Estonia 	Tallinn 	$3.62

Bulgaria 	Sofia 		$3.52

Brazil 		Brasilia        $3.12

Cuba 		Havana 		$3.03

Taiwan 		Taipei 		$2.84

Lebanon 	Beirut 		$2.63

South Africa 	Johannesburg 	$2.62

Nicaragua 	Managua 	$2.61

Panama 	        Panama City 	$2.19

Russia 		Moscow   	$2.10

Puerto Rico 	San Juan 	$1.74

Saudi Arabia 	Riyadh 		$0.91

Kuwait 		Kuwait City 	$0.78

Egypt 		Cairo 		$0.65

Nigeria 	Lagos 		$0.38

Venezuela 	Caracas 	$0.12



"Gasoline prices in the United States, which have recently hit record highs, are actually much lower than in many countries. Drivers in some European cities, like Amsterdam and Oslo, are paying nearly 3 times more than those in the U.S."



Source.
 
ebpcivicsi said:
^^^Right on Seth!!! Personally, I think we have cheap gas here compared to the rest of the world. WE SHOULD BE CHARGING MORE!!!! Perhaps then people would drive cars that actually suit their needs instead of the latest greatest vehicle.
Click to expand...





I have a similar opinion on the whole thing. I don't care that much about the price of gas. Complaining won't get me anywhere. I'll still have to pay the same price. But I think there is a benefit to the high prices, and that's getting all the idiots who drive giant SUVs for no real purpose (no heavy hauling, no boat to tow, not interested in off-road capabilities, no need for 4WD, etc...) to buy something that's a bit more practical. Maybe spending $3.00/gallon will make them realize that it sucks owning a large SUV (unless of course you use it for one or more of the above purposes).



I still do everything I can to increase my gas mileage.



Check tire pressure every couple weeks. I have my tires set 3lbs above the recommended pressure. Higher pressure will get you a slightly harsher ride, but the decrease in rolling resistance will help your wallet.



Change oil regularly with an energy conserving oil (Check the back of the bottle, it should have a ring that says the API service designation on top, and "energy conserving" at the bottom. I use Quaker State Peak Performance 10W-30 in summer and 5W-30 in winter).



Keep air filter and spark plugs in good working order.



Change fuel filter at recommended intervals. I did this on the Maxima, but unfortunately the Protege has a non-serviceable type fuel filter, which is located in the fuel pump itself, and really hard to access.



Keep the car very slick to increase aerodynamics haha j/k :p



And what have I done lately...



Drive at the 55mph speed limit unless there's someone behind me, then I go 5 over.



I bought fully synthetic transmission fluid for the Protege, which claims to increase fuel efficiency.



I shift below 3500 rpm, and go into 5th anytime I just need to hold a constant speed (as long as I'm above 35mph).



I'm looking into new wheels and tires, and lightweight (for not too much $$$) is one of the main characteristics that I'm looking for in a wheel. Again, less rotating weight allows the engine to work less to turn the wheels.



Most importantly, I sold the Maxima (20-25 mpg average, on premium gas) and bought a Protege LX 5spd, which gets me 30-40mpg, depending on driving style. I drove around for a week with the A/C on, and almost entirely city driving. When it came time to go to the gas station, I still ended up with 34.x mpg!



Like Truzoom, I brought my bike with me when I transferred schools. I found a nice apartment, but unfortunately, the school is 7 miles away, so I won't be riding my bike to school very often.
 
truzoom said:
Anyone interested in doing a group buy of gasoline from venezuela? :)
Click to expand...



funny you mention that. I wouldn't expect they'll sell to us if they could help it.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4153318.stm



The other person nailed it on the head, Refining capacity is a joke in America comapred to the consumption we have. If we could refine heavy crude oil on our own, we'd pay (as of last week) $14 a barrell instead of 60$ for light crude.



But environmentalists and politicians tied to them got into power by playing up their interests. Now they want it both ways.
 
kgb said:
I think this is one of the problems right here:

031028-gm-hummer-h2-sut.jpg
Click to expand...



Why is this a problem? I just dont get it! I see these comments all over.



I choose to buy one......Now its my problem/ burden to fill it up.



I average 10 miles per gal. Yes thats bad but its my wallet. not yours.



I can think of many other things that use tons of gas or get worse miles per gallon than a Hummer.
 
Intercooled said:
Why is this a problem? I just dont get it! I see these comments all over.



I choose to buy one......Now its my problem/ burden to fill it up.



I average 10 miles per gal. Yes thats bad but its my wallet. not yours.



I can think of many other things that use tons of gas or get worse miles per gallon than a Hummer.
Click to expand...



I agree... And why are people scrutinizing SUV owners, if their focused on mpg, lets look at the ferraris & lambos. They fall in the same range... Don't blame the buyer, the buyer should be aware of the "consequences" of their purchase (high gas bill). It's a persons right to buy what they want.. That's the joy of freedom we all take for granted.
 
yes, but those two makes are not purchased in the degree that H2 or Navigators or even f-150s are.



But, no, consumption alone is not responsible for high gas prices.
 
NYC2SoCal said:
I agree... And why are people scrutinizing SUV owners, if their focused on mpg, lets look at the ferraris & lambos. They fall in the same range... Don't blame the buyer, the buyer should be aware of the "consequences" of their purchase (high gas bill). It's a persons right to buy what they want.. That's the joy of freedom we all take for granted.
Click to expand...



Very well said!! :clap:



I know boat owners that get approx. 5 miles to the gallon.....cost $300 to fill up and could last ony one day!!

Lets ban all boating activity until gas prices come down!! :LOLOL



Hmmm. what about home heating systems, both natural gas and heating oil. Is your equiptment new and running at a high efficiency? Why doesn't the Government mandate that all equiptment be changed to energy star rated furnaces and boilers?? How about your hot water? is that in a well insulated tank or come from an immediate demand system?

I guess my point is we can all do better, and trucks and cars is just a piece of the large pie!

There are many Government mandates when it comes to energy and fuel consumption in Europe. We have alot to learn and the Government should start with ITSELF!!
 
My water heater isn't run by a product of crude oil. So you got a Hummer. If you're looking at the big picture, it isn't the responsible thing to do IF you use it to commute. Hurts your pocket and collectively increases the demand more than something more economical. To bring boats into it just doesn't fit as I can't think of anyone that uses a personal one to commute in.



As we have seen in the news (here anyway) the lessened demand in July (because of price) has lowered the price of crude.
 
i live in west virginia and gas just hit $2.70 a gallon for the low grade yesterday! and is still climbing by the day. i work in the construction trade, building new power and chemical plants and work in oil refinerys here in the states. ashland oil, sunoco just to name a few. there is a lot of talk around them places that there are up to like 8 refinerys being built right now over in saudi, when completed they will no longer be selling crude oil to the u.s. but the finished product, gasoline... and they will more then likely flood the market and drive the price of gas down to near record lows... of course this is still like 8-10 years away from being completed though... and of course the war thing has really slowed it all down! but there is hope sometime in the future!

i like to try driving a little slower then the posted 70 mph when i can. its hard to do during rush hour traffic though, might get run over!! lol
 
I receceived this email in HTML version yesterday and I think its a GREAT IDEA! If anyone wants the HTML version to send out to friends just PM me or send an email to skpounds@myway.com with "No Saudi Oil" as the subject and I'll send the HTML version to you. (I would post it here or offer it for upload but don't know how)

-------------------------------



For those of you that buy gas @ Costco, they buy most of their gas from the U.S.. They are an independent buyer and buy on the open market but they say their gas comes from U.S. sources. This is an important message and needs to get out to as many people as possible.





WHERE TO BUY YOUR GAS,



THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW.



READ ON--



Why didn't George W. think of this?





Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it.





It might even be good for us!









The Saudis are boycotting American goods.





We should return the favor.





An interesting thought it to boycott their GAS.





Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.







Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.







I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil :



Arab oil:



Shell............................ 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway... .117,740,000 barrels

Amoco............................62,231,000 barrels





If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION!

Remember It's about $60/barrel now so it's around $36 BILLION!!!







Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:



Other oil:



Citgo.......................0 barrels

Sunoco...................0 barrels

Conoco...................0 barrels

Sinclair....................0 barrels

BP/Phillips...............0 barrels

Hess........................0 barrels

ARCO......................0 barrels





All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.





But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers.





It's really simple to do.





Now, don't wimp out at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!







I'm sending this note to about thirty people.





If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers!









If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!







If it goes one level further, you guessed it ..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!







Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people.





How long would all that take?





If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next eight days!
 
I'm happy with my 26+ mpg average right now. This is a mix of city/highway and usually spirited shifting. These prices truly makes me re-think my vehicle to the point of keeping the teg for a bit longer than I expected or until at least I get a career paying very well.







I don't mind people owning what they want, it's a free country :). I just expect to see prices drop and lots fill with SUV's more and more. They took $9000 off sticker on my Uncle's new F-350. He's not a negotiator either. I think there are more things that auto manufacturers can do more than they are to make MPG's go up.





Hey, what ever happened to that guy who invented using some H2o on in the carb which led to a doubling/tripling in MPG back in the 60's? My story may be a bit blurry as my dad told me years ago.
 
kpounds said:
I receceived this email in HTML version yesterday and I think its a GREAT IDEA! If anyone wants the HTML version to send out to friends just PM me or send an email to skpounds@myway.com with "No Saudi Oil" as the subject and I'll send the HTML version to you. (I would post it here or offer it for upload but don't know how)

-------------------------------



For those of you that buy gas @ Costco, they buy most of their gas from the U.S.. They are an independent buyer and buy on the open market but they say their gas comes from U.S. sources. This is an important message and needs to get out to as many people as possible.





WHERE TO BUY YOUR GAS,



THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW.



READ ON--



snip .............
Click to expand...



While the oil companies do have to report where they purchased their crude oil from, that cannot be traced all the way to the gas station. ALL of the oil companies buy oil/gas from each other on a regular basis. Even though a company may not import oil from overseas, I guarantee they buy from a company that does. Simply boycotting one particular brand isn't going to do anything as they will just sell off their excess to the companies that aren't being boycotted.



Here is a quote from the department of energy that sums it up



http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/brochure/gas04/gasoline.htm



Can I tell which country or State the gasoline at my local station comes from?



The Energy Information Administration (EIA) cannot definitively say where gasoline at a given station originated since EIA does not collect data on the source of the gasoline sold at retail outlets. The name on the service station sign does not tell the whole story. The fact that you purchase gasoline from a given company does not necessarily mean that the gasoline was actually produced by that particular company’s refineries. While gasoline is sold at about 167,000 retail outlets across the nation, about one-third of these stations are “unbranded� dealers that may sell gasoline of any brand. The remainder of the outlets are “branded� stations, but may not necessarily be selling gasoline produced at that company’s refineries. This is because gasoline from different refineries is often combined for shipment by pipeline, and companies owning service stations in the same area may be purchasing gasoline at the same bulk terminal. In that case, the only difference between the gasoline at station X versus the gasoline at station Y may be the small amount of additives that those companies add to the gasoline before it gets to the pump. Even if we knew at which company’s refinery the gasoline was produced, the source of the crude oil used at that refinery may vary on a day-to-day basis. Most refiners use a mix of crude oils from various domestic and foreign sources. The mix of crude oils can change based on the relative cost and availability of crude oil from different sources.
Click to expand...
 
kpounds said:
Arab oil:



Shell............................ 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway... .117,740,000 barrels

Amoco............................62,231,000 barrels







Other oil:





BP/Phillips...............0 barrels
Click to expand...





Isn't BP the same as Amoco? They sell Amoco Ultimate at the BP in Manitowoc. :nixweiss
 
White95Max said:
Isn't BP the same as Amoco? They sell Amoco Ultimate at the BP in Manitowoc. :nixweiss
Click to expand...



I believe BP did buy Amoco not too long ago. I havent researched this all out as to who uses Saudi-oil and who doesnt (that would be a great project) but the list provided is a good starting point I think.....especially which companies NOT to buy from! Yes there are probably *some* gas transfers between co.'s, but my Dad used to work for Citgo and said they would occasionally use other co.'s gas but only when they were running low. If there's ANY way I can avoid sending $$ to the middle east, I'm ALL FOR IT!
 
kpounds said:
I believe BP did buy Amoco not too long ago. I havent researched this all out as to who uses Saudi-oil and who doesnt (that would be a great project) but the list provided is a good starting point I think. Especially which companies NOT to buy from. Yes there are probably *some* gas transfers between co.'s, but my Dad used to work for Citgo and said they would occasionally use other co.'s gas but only if they were running low. If there's ANY way I can avoid sending $$ to the middle east, I'm ALL FOR IT!
Click to expand...



It is far more than you think. The oil companies have a limited number of refineries, pipelines, etc to ship oil around the country. Think about the logistics of ensuring that every branded gas station only carries gas that is refined at one of their refineries. Doesn't happen that way. The additives that make each brand unique are added when the gas is loaded onto the truck headed for the gas station. The depots where gas is stored are regional and they feed all the local stations. The only thing you can be sure of when you buy gas is that you are getting that companies additives, there is no way to tell where that gas originated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top