why prices at the pump are so high?
480529
The oil companies are greedy
808497
Oil prices are not very elastic.  Once demand exceeds supply, the price will skyrocket.  Excess production capacity is marginal supply that comes into play when the price goes up.  It may be a well that costs more to operate until oil is at $70 a barrell.  If demand is really great, then this capacity is used up.
1130398
Some sites say it's the Chinese demand, which continues to grow.\n\nOthers say: The answer to same lies with hedge funds, which are major buyers in the metal and are going to try to hold up the price.
1026623
Inflation.  Today's high gas prices are caused not by shortages, as the world is awash with oil.  The current pricing is driven by distribution.  Any disruption of the distribution process creates shortages, which lead to scarcity and high prices.  Current oil prices are driven by speculation in the oil commodities market.  At some point, fuel alternatives will be developed, and prices will abate.  When that happens, speculators holding high priced oil futures contracts will lose money.  The propensity is to keep prices high to avoid loss.  When, and if oil production in offshore Gulf of Mexico come back on line, oil prices will drop, probably sharply.\nThe price of petroleum affects every aspect in the production of economic goods and services, worldwide.
333766
well it just recently got over the price of milk, I don't think its high.  It has how ever been vary cheep for years so the increase seams like alot.\n\noh and it makes bush look bad so the left will jump on it and milk it for everything they can, don't forget politics is in everything
801457
Lots.  Let's see, where to start.  How about higher interest rates.  The Fed just keeps on increasing the rate to try to cool down the economy but this put pressure on everyone with adjustable rate mortgages and interest sensitive credit cards.  This sucks money out of the private sector as does the higher cost of gas and therefore we have less money in our pockets.  We tend to borrow more and with more credit card debt comes more chance of default.  As the cost of increased gas and therefore inflation then workers want raises and this pressures CEO's to play with the books to keep up their record profits.  How's that for a start?
512455
The government has many forms of taxes. The higher prices increase government tax income. This is a cash cow for the government.
1052051
I think high asset prices and commodity prices are here to stay for some more time. Investors must deal with this. There is no doubt that this huge run up in prices was partly because of leverages potions built up by investors and partly because of speculation. \n\nYet I think the Federal Banks of respective country should leave the market and economy to find its own ways to determine demand and supply rather than artificially managing the float.
116657
Inflation is classically caused by rising interest rates.  When money is harder to borrow (higher rates), harder to come by, then goods and services end up rising in value in response.  Because people need to borrow (from credit and ARMS and whatnot), they are forced to charge more for whatever they are selling or performing.  So they begin to raise their prices, and everyone else needs to do likewise.  The best way to stop inflation, generally, is to lower the interest rate.
363648
How much they made in profits has nothing to do with the price of gas.  \n\nThere are quite a few reasons that gas prices are rising.  First, simple supply and demand. The price of the oil that is refined to make gas is rising.  This is because worldwide demand for oil is growing (think about China and India).  Right now due to our little war and the other unstable oil producing countries, worldwide oil production is not where it needs to be.  Secondly, with the increased demand for gas in this country, the current refinery system cannot meet demand.  The EPA has put a strangle hold on any new refineries.  There hasn't been a new refinery built in this country for 30 years.  Lastly, the government has allowed all of the major oil companies to either merge together or be acquired by foreign companies.  Exxon / Mobil, Chevron / Texaco, British Petroleum / Atlantic Richfield and Royal Ductch / Shell.\n\nAll of this is the perfect recipe for big profits.  Publicly traded oil companies like Exxon / Mobil are doing what they are supposed to be doing; maximizing shareholder value.  If you want someone to blame, blame the government.  They make the environmental laws.  They started the war.  They allowed all of the mergers.
348889
supposedly it's because of "weapons of mass destruction." but we all know it's because of the oil. the shitty part is now bush has had us over there 3 years, and the fuckin gas prices are still pushing $3 and probably $4 in summer.
690244
Gas prices are rising due to the rise in the price of crude oil.\n\nThe price of West Texas Light Crude rose to over $70 a barrel on the international market, although it has now fallen to $69.63. The price of Light Crude tends to be higher than other Crude Oil prices because it contains less sulphur. This reduces the refining costs involved with making petrol that conforms to the environmental standards in the US and Europe.\n\nAlthough OPEC and other Oil producing countries have increased production of oil, the demand is outstripping the supply.\n\nThe economy in China is growing fast and as the masses enjoy more disposable income, they buy cars which in turn require more oil.\n\nThe Indian economy is also getting stronger and they too are buying more oil.\n\nA further complication that adds to the demand is the lack of refineries. The efficient refineries are operating at almost full capacity which means that less efficient plants are being pressed into service. The problems in obtaining refined product places further pressure on demand side prices.\n\nOn the supply side, there are political uncertainties in a number of big oil producing countries. Such uncertainties cause problems within the supply chain and cause prices to increase.\n\nOPEC cannot produce enough extra oil to satisfy the extra demand.\n\nIn the past, Russia could be relied upon to pump extra oil. However, Russia is busily re-nationalising Oil Production (e.g. The recent Yukos case). This means that Oil production in Russia has fallen away from 2004 levels. Although Russia has huge reserves, it will be a while before production starts to grow again and so they cannot be relied upon to meet the extra demand. \n\nVenezuela is having a little spat with US Oil companies. Go Venezuela! Unfortunately, this is also effecting supply. \n\nNigeria, well is Nigeria. However, the locals are not happy with the way that oil companies operate and have taken to protesting over the way their land is being poluted. Local bandits and industrial unrest all combine to threaten oil supply.\n\nThen there is Iran which is in dispute with the west over Uranium enrichment.\n\nWhenever demand outstrips supply, speculators get involved. The US leads the way in commodity speculation. With continual upward pressure on the price of oil, speculators are having a field day.\n\nThe complication that the US has brought to speculation factor is the invention of 'virtual speculation'. These are speculators who speculate on the commodity speculators. This in turn causes prices to fluctuate more wildly and pushes prices even higher in a rising market or lower in a falling market.\n\nThe only way to improve the situation would be to either increase supply or reduce demand.\n\nIncreasing supply will take many years to be effective.\n\nTherefore the only way to reduce prices is to reduce demand. So, if everyone used less fuel the prices would fall.\n\nTime to dust off your old pedal cycle?
229114
Because of money inflation.
631272
No special reason, just because when the price or oil raise,everone go to buy gas so the price of the gas will raise either.
363434
Nationally, the average per gallon price for regular gasoline is $2.50.\n\nAre gasoline prices high? That's not the best way to ask that question. It's akin to asking, "Is Williams tall?" The average height of U.S. women is 5'4", and for men, it's 5'10". Being 6'4", I'd be tall relative to the general U.S. population. But put me on a basketball court, next to the average NBA basketball player, and I wouldn't be tall; I'd be short. So when we ask whether a price is high or low, we have to ask relative to what.\n\nIn 1950, a gallon of regular gasoline sold for about 30 cents; today, it's $2.50. Are today's gasoline prices high compared to 1950? Before answering that question, we have to take into account inflation that has occurred since 1950. Using my trusty inflation calculator (www.westegg.com/inflation), what cost 30 cents in 1950 costs $2.33 in 2005. \n\nIn real terms, that means gasoline prices today are only slightly higher, about 8 percent, than they were in 1950. Up until the recent spike, gasoline prices have been considerably lower than 1950 prices.\n\nSome Americans are demanding that the government do something about gasoline prices. Let's think back to 1979 when the government did do something. The Carter administration instituted price controls. What did we see? We saw long gasoline lines, and that's if the gas station hadn't run out of gas. It's estimated that Americans used about 150,000 barrels of oil per day idling their cars while waiting in line. In an effort to deal with long lines, the Carter administration introduced the harebrained scheme of odd and even days, whereby a motorist whose license tag started with an odd number could fill up on odd-numbered days, and those with an even number on even-numbered days.\n\nWith the recent spike in gas prices, the government has chosen not to pursue stupid policies of the past. As a result, we haven't seen shortages. We haven't seen long lines. We haven't seen gasoline station fights and riots. Why? Because price has been allowed to perform its valuable function -- that of equating demand with supply.\n\nOur true supply problem is of our own doing. Large quantities of oil lie below the 20 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). \n\nThe amount of land proposed for oil drilling is less than 2,000 acres, less than one-half of one percent of ANWR. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are about 10 billion barrels of recoverable oil in ANWR. But environmentalists' hold on Congress has prevented us from drilling for it. \n\nThey've also had success in restricting drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and off the shore of California. Another part of our energy problem has to do with refining capacity. Again, because of environmentalists' successful efforts, it's been 30 years since we've built a new oil refinery.\n\nFew people realize that the U.S. is also a major oil-producing country. After Saudi Arabia, producing 10.4 million barrels a day, then Russia with 9.4 million barrels, the U.S. with 8.7 million barrels a day is the third-largest producer of oil. But we could produce more. Why aren't we? \n\nProducers have a variety of techniques to win monopoly power and higher profits that come with that power. What's a way for OPEC to gain more power? \n\nI have a hypothesis, for which I have no evidence, but it ought to be tested. If I were an OPEC big cheese, I'd easily conclude that I could restrict output and charge higher oil prices if somehow U.S. oil drilling were restricted. I'd see U.S. environmental groups as allies, and I would make "charitable" contributions to assist their efforts to reduce U.S. output. Again, I have no evidence, but it's a hypothesis worth examination.
538898
People, gas prices are going higher because of one thing. DEMAND. I still see giant SUV's in traffic driven by one person. \n\nThe US has 5% of the worlds Population and we use 25% of the worlds resources. We are hogs and the Gas companies are making money from it. Also, the US Gov't taxes 46 cents per gallon thats more than the profit by the BIG OIL Co. They are the ones gouging the consumer.\n\nAnd in Europe they drive minis not Avalanches and Tundras and Armadas and any other vehicle named after the state that it is as big as like TAHOE !
1048854
As you know, the cost of crude refineries pay is set across the board globally. Which in turn they charge the same price. It is mainly these franchise gas station compnaies that change the price, who are told to change the price as the market flucuates. Which in turn the station across the street wants to stay competitive by adjusting their price accordingly, up or down. It's all about the supply and demand now. The United States uses approx. 84 million barrels a day, when our supply is just 85 million.\nAnyway, here is a good couple vids to watch.