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marmar

(77,090 posts)
Wed Aug 12, 2015, 12:00 PM Aug 2015

Gas price B.S.

The price of oil is dropping like a boulder, but yet gas prices at a station I frequent in Royal Oak were 30 cents per gallon higher yesterday ($2.69) than they were Sunday ($2.39).
So I stopped for gas again yesterday, this time in Dearborn, and paid $2.35 per gallon -- and most prices in the Dearborn/Westland area seemed to be in the $2.35-$2.40 range.
Why the wild variations in the same metropolitan area? Something reeks.


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Gas price B.S. (Original Post) marmar Aug 2015 OP
Dream Cruise coming. louis-t Aug 2015 #1
Ahh. Forgot about that. That would explain the Oakland County situation. marmar Aug 2015 #2
And now, refinery troubles. Price went up 50 cents in one day. louis-t Aug 2015 #7
It seems like Oakland County has always had higher prices than Wayne JustABozoOnThisBus Aug 2015 #3
Jumped to $2.59 from $2.28 here safeinOhio Aug 2015 #4
Here's the reason for the price jump seamonkey58 Aug 2015 #5
More from Free press on refinery problem seamonkey58 Aug 2015 #6
Please google this safeinOhio Aug 2015 #8
~$3.00 etherealtruth Aug 2015 #9
post-9/11 Governor Granholm put gougers on notice. MinM Sep 2015 #10

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,364 posts)
3. It seems like Oakland County has always had higher prices than Wayne
Wed Aug 12, 2015, 01:59 PM
Aug 2015

I don't know why. Are there county taxes on gasoline?

I commuted from Wayne County to Oakland for years, and I always tried to fill up before leaving Wayne County.

safeinOhio

(32,714 posts)
4. Jumped to $2.59 from $2.28 here
Wed Aug 12, 2015, 02:22 PM
Aug 2015

in north Ohio last night.
Big break down at an Ill. refinery, so they say.


Bought a house in Michigan and I'm moving back. Gas is always a little higher there. But it'll be nice to get back.

seamonkey58

(19 posts)
5. Here's the reason for the price jump
Wed Aug 12, 2015, 03:33 PM
Aug 2015

See the article about a refinery in the Midwest going down for maintenance temporarily. Gas Buddy is a good source for analysis and news about oil and gasoline prices as well as looking up local prices.

According to the article, prices should resume their downward slide through the fall, though there can be temporary spikes along the way.

https://blog.gasbuddy.com/ " Great Lakes Gas Prices Expected to Rise on Unplanned Refining Issue

By coincidence, I also live in Royal Oak. I usually fill up at one of the stations at Crooks and 12 Mile. I find they're usually the cheapest in the Royal Oak area. I filled up this morning at $2.41.9/gal, which is the lowest it's been there in awhile. Based on the article above I expect to see a temporary spike in price over the week or so until that refinery comes back online, which is why I filled up rather than wait.

The thing to remember is that while they are certainly connected, gasoline and oil prices can fluctuate in opposite directions sometimes. Oil production (how much is pulled out of the ground) can be high, as it is now (a glut), putting downward pressure on prices, but gasoline distillation from that oil is a separate process and if that is reduced for some reason, gas prices can actually rise while oil prices fall, though the two generally coincide. Remember also that gasoline is not the only thing made from oil. Most plastics and many other products are derived from oil.

MinM

(2,650 posts)
10. post-9/11 Governor Granholm put gougers on notice.
Sun Sep 13, 2015, 01:20 PM
Sep 2015

and prices came down right away.

Even if Governor Snyder or AG/GOPvernor in waiting Bill Schuette ever expressed/feigned concern about this nobody would take it seriously .. especially the oil companies.

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