Here is an announcement from the Irving Oil Refinery here in Saint John to their employees regarding the price of gas.

Information on Hurricane Katrina and Gas Prices
>
> What's happening with gasoline?
> Gasoline prices are really high right now, and we recognize that this
> is a very difficult situation for our customers. We never thought
> prices would get this high, and we hope to see them come back down.
>
> Prices were already very high this summer, and Hurricane Katrina has
> added to these high prices. Eight refineries in the US, which
> together represent one quarter of the United States' refining
> capacity, have been impacted. This is affecting supply levels of
> products like gasoline throughout North America.
>
> In the first two days of this week, the cost of gasoline on the open
> market rose over 62 cents a gallon (or 19.6 cents per litre). This is
> a larger increase than you'd typically see in an entire year. If the
> market stabilizes, we hope to see costs come down for our customers.
>
> The price we pay for crude oil, which we purchase and then refine in
> Saint John, has also gone up. Crude oil production is down more than
> 1 million barrels per day as a result of the storm and trading today
> at between $68 and $69 per barrel today. This is a 42 percent increase
> over the same time one year ago.
>
> Why is a US storm affecting prices in Atlantic Canada?
> Gasoline supply in North America has been affected by the storm. The
> North American fuel market is interconnected, so a problem at any
> refinery in North America affects the market throughout the continent.
> In this case, the supply levels of gasoline were already so low that
> these new refinery shutdowns in the US are pushing up the cost of
> gasoline everywhere.
>
> How long will these prices last?
> The market is extremely volatile right now, so it is impossible for us
> to predict where prices will go. How long these impacts last will
> depend on how long it takes for refineries to come back on line and
> get back to their regular production rates.
>
> Can Irving Oil do anything to lower prices?
> As a company that buys crude oil and then refines and markets
> gasoline, we do not control the cost of crude oil. Crude oil is
> openly traded on the world market, and each day, we purchase crude oil
> to use in the refining process. We are in the business of providing
> value to our customers and we have an interest in keeping prices as
> low as possible to keep loyal customers coming back to our stores.
>
> What can customers do?
> We know that high prices are very difficult for customers. At times
> like this, all that we can control is our own consumption. Here are
> some tips you can give to customers to help them get the most out of
> every tank of
> fuel:
>
> 1. Avoid excessive speed - gas consumption is less at slower speeds.
> 2. Properly inflate your tires - tire neglect can lead to poor fuel
> economy and tread wear.
> 3. Keep your engine tuned - a poorly tuned engine uses more gasoline
> than a well-tuned one.
> 4. Replace air filters regularly - dirty filters can cause engines to
> run inefficiently.
> 5. Use the correct viscosity engine oil for your engine - higher
> viscosity oils can cause resistance to the moving engine parts.
> 6. Resist using your air conditioning unnecessarily.
> 7. Avoid jackrabbit starts - smooth steady acceleration uses less fuel.
> 8. Turn your engine off when not in use - idling an engine will use
> excessive fuel.

 

This sounds like smoke & mirrors to me.

They still didn't explain the interconnection!
If Irving buys crude & refines it here, how does the American shutdown impact Irving?

 

Ahhhhh...I am glad you caught that!! I was hoping that it wasn't just me that saw through that!

 

These guys are full of ****. Why is it then that even with the problems the US faces today, their prices are lower than ours?

The reason why prices are so high here in Canada is because they control and set the prices in the market...PERIOD.

Our politicians are a bunch of puppets that all they do is yell and poke fun at each other in the Commons and accomplish nothing. They should get off their a$$e$$ and do something for us for a change.

For every $0.10 in gas price increase they raise $100M in tax revenues. Yet our transportation infrastructure is a mess. WTF????

 

Don't get me started on that one

 

You wonder why its $45, $50, $52 $58 $67 a barrel

Audi A8 in SILVER made for a sheik.

IT'S NOT SILVER COLOUR. IT IS SILVER!!!!!

 

That's just insane!! I have a trip coming up to Dubai to visit one of my clients and have been reading and learning as much as I can about the UAE.

One of the things I've learned is that there are some outrages homes and cars in that part of the world....and plenty of CASH!

 

Holy crap, I wonder how much something like would even cost???

 

LOL, chico, the oil co. lobby is a very powerful one in this country and the U.S....... . It's crude to say (pun intended), but money buys votes and favours, and we all know what politicians are like and how much $$ oil companies have.....

The only way to get control of this problem is to cut consumption.: Hit 'em in the pocketbook just where it hurts..... If everyone cut their's by 10%, that would mean millions less in profit every day. See how quickly that brings the price down......can you say fast.
.
....having said that, I feel guilt too in that now I have 2 cars and one is a V-8.....not to mention my upcoming trips........

 

TNX for posting Shane.....we all need a chukle once in a while, and that fit the bill today. (is that you laughing too in the background?)

What Rhetoric (aka - B.S.)....lol - I can hear them rubbing their greedy hands together from here, whilst they think we're more pacified.

I can also 'hear' my Dad saying those lying bastard s, over and over again...

P.S.-- speaking of consumption (yes I'm red faced), only 25 days 'til East meets West in M. ...... Yeah.

C.

 

Yeah, I thought it was kind of funny myself. My wife works at the refinery here in Saint John and that was the email that they sent out to all of their employees.

 

Well whatever you do, don't let her read what I said....... (seriously)

C.

 

I've heard numerous stories About UAE from a very good friend who was stationed there in the military for a year and a bit.

 

Me too.

 

i would have to agree especially since we are a net exporter of crude and refined oil.