how much does it cost to fill your gas tank?

from metro news west virginia

How Did We Get to $4?
Shawn Falkenstein

How did things ever get this bad?

How did gas prices get so incredibly high?

How will we ever get them under control?

While I cannot predict the future of gas prices I can shed some light on how gas prices reached an all-time high this week of $4.04 per gallon in West Virginia. I have compiled a list of prices and excuses...er...reasons the oil companies raised the prices over the past nine years.

First, let's go back to the good 'ole days of 1999.

On Thanksgiving weekend of 1999 gas prices were just $1.33 per gallon. It was the waning days of the Clinton administration and the end of a prosperous decade that saw extremely low gas prices. A year later prices had climbed, but not much. Thanksgiving of 2000 the average price of a gallon of unleaded in West Virginia was $1.57. George W. Bush had just been elected president in a controversial election. For the next year gas prices stayed steady, rising and falling by no more than 20 cents a gallon.

Then the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. One would think by the way oil companies respond to similar events today that such an event would cause panic and force prices at the pump to skyrocket.

Not so. In fact, gas prices went down. In December of 2001 gas was just $1.11 per gallon in West Virginia.

Over the next two years prices steadily raised by a few cents a month until they reached $1.47 a gallon in March of 2003. We all know what happened in March of 2003--the United States invaded Iraq.

That surely sent gas prices through the roof, right?

Nope.

Six months later gas was just $1.69 a gallon. At the time AAA said prices were far lower than what many energy watchers were forecasting prior to the war in Iraq. Some were predicting prices near two dollars a gallon during the spring and summer of 2003.

A major power outage in the Northeast and Midwest that summer briefly shut down gasoline refineries and fuel distribution and delivery operations combined with a break in a pipeline in Arizona caused prices to spike.

Americans were outraged at the high prices and fearful of the prospect that prices could top $2.00 a gallon, but looking back we would all gladly pay those prices today.

In 2004, prices continued to steadily climb until they reached that terrible $2.00 mark late that summer. U.S. gasoline demand that summer was a record high 9.4 million barrels per day, which was about two percent above the previous year. Crude oil was around $50 a barrel on Labor Day. Over the following months gas prices flirted above and below the $2.00 mark. Hurricane Ivan put a crimp on oil supplies by damaging oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. It was estimated that the U.S. lost more than 11 million barrels of oil production over a two week period.

But Hurricane Ivan would be a puppy dog compared to what was in store for the Gulf Coast.

In late August 2005 Hurricane Katrina ripped through the gulf destroying oil rigs and much of the city of New Orleans. It crippled refineries throughout the region. Gas prices jumped more than 70 cents in a matter of days and we were paying $3.09 a gallon by Labor Day.

Things calmed down and prices went back down, but never since have dropped below $2.00 a gallon. By Christmas 2005 the prices were down to $2.24 a gallon.

In January of 2006 experts said a stronger economy led to higher energy demands which drove up the cost of crude oil and wholesale gasoline. The average price of a gallon of gas was $2.44 in West Virginia. By March questions over the strength of the U-S economy and the Iranian nuclear issue drove up prices. A strong spring and summer travel season increased demand and prices.

In April of 2007 oil company officials said a larger population of people relying on cars along with refinery fires and outages lowering the production of gas resulted in higher gas prices. Gas companies claimed to have the lowest gasoline reserves that they ever had thanks to Hurricane Katrina and stoked the fires of fear that a bad hurricane season could bring prices up even more if there was damage to gasoline refineries. Continued unrest in the Middle East and Nigeria also contributed to the high prices.

However, the ever increasing cost of gas did not affect travel, until this year.

On Thanksgiving of 2001--post 9/11--AAA said travel was down, but it affected the airlines more than the highways. Those that were traveling, travelled by car. Eighty-seven percent of the travelers that Thanksgiving drove. That added up to 30-million travelers who travelled by motor vehicle, that's out of 34-million travelers using planes, trains and automobiles.

By Thanksgiving 2005--post Katrina--AAA said more than 37 million people travelled more than 50 miles from home.

Then by Thanksgiving 2007, despite the rise in price, AAA saw a record 38.7 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend. That was a 1.6 percent increase over the previous year.

This Memorial Day weekend AAA expected 37.9 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles from home. The first decrease in travel since 9/11. However, AAA spokesperson Bevi Powell doesn’t think $4 gas will stop people from travelling this summer. We will all be getting economic stimulus checks from the federal government and many will spend their IRS refund checks on vacations. However, the destinations may change. Norris anticipates more Americans will opt for shorter trips closer to home.

So, as Loretta Lynn said, “We’ve come a long way baby.” From $1.11 a gallon just seven years ago to $4.04 today with no end in sight.

Here is a date-by-date breakdown of the history of gas prices in West Virginia. Numbers are based on the AAA fuel gauge and are for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

Thanksgiving 1999--$1.33

11/21/2000--$1.57

6/12/2001--$1.64

6/27/2001--$1.54

8/23/2001--$1.40

12/19/2001--$1.11

3/27/2002--$1.32

7/10/2002--$1.35

10/2/2002--$1.43

1/2/2003--$1.47

5/29/2003--$1.42

9/9/2003--$1.69

4/14/2004--$1.74

5/5/2004--$1.84

6/9/2004--$1.96

10/20/2004--$2.04

12/15/2004--$1.81

4/6/2005--$2.29

5/11/2005--$2.11

6/8/2005--$2.09

8/10/2005--$2.36

9/1/2005 (post-Katrina) $3.09

12/14/2005--$2.24

3/8/2006--$2.31

6/29/2006--$2.79

1/15/2007--$2.21

4/23/2007--$2.57

6/27/2007--$2.98

11/20/2007--$3.15

2/11/2008--$3.06

3/14/2008--$3.37

4/23/2008--$3.61

5/24/2008--$4.04

$70 to $80 I think. I usually have parties at my house and don't go anywhere. Touring is a lot less profitable right now with how much it costs to fill a tour bus gas tank. Not really worth doing.

when I got my car in December it cost $35, the other day it cost $50 ick

$130 for a full tank at London prices - and for me that lasts about a week.

I drive f-350 dually at 4.50 at 35 gal... its about 160.00 a week.

But I have to have it for work

1 gallon costs around 9$ here.... what are you complaining about -.-

No clue. I never put more than $40 at a time in it. But it's a BUG, for Christ's sake. Why can I even put that much in it?

if gas is "so cheap" in America, than how come no body can afford it?

I don't know. is the average wage in Europe 7 bucks an hour with the average daily drive ten miles or more?

wow... That's sad, something smells in us and a.

Not to be a bastard now but I get almost 6 times that in a hour... and still with a double gas price it costs us about 3 times less when comparing.

well, this might be off topic but it reveals one of many ways of milking people...

It costs me $12 to fill up my tank now.

paying 1.28p a litre....

its fucking killing me, knowing most of it is tax

$50 ...... for a late model Honda d'oh!

Or an old as something or other piece of shit scooter most ppl call a moped....

(I dont drive it... FYI)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OliX

wow... That's sad, something smells in us and a.

Not to be a bastard now but I get almost 6 times that in a hour... and still with a double gas price it costs us about 3 times less when comparing.

well, this might be off topic but it reveals one of many ways of milking people...

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the dollar is so weak that it is like play money for children compared to the euro

I'm not complaining ftr. We have spent 16 years pursuing the wrong policies. This is all the result of our national stupidity.

...and most of us who are hard working class are this era's equal to last era's slaves...

with very few of those play money dollars that are so fiercely earned.

Good luck OEC on the LS.


Make us proud supporting us as one of 'the law' *known in these here parts....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OrganizedKhaos

with very few of those play money dollars that are so fiercely earned.

Good luck OEC on the LS.


Make us proud supporting us as one of 'the law' *known in these here parts....

---

I don't know that I'll ever practice law. It was just interesting enough to go back to finish. More interested in disability, animal, and some civil rights law. I can't do anything about any of this.

I can inform you on most of those topics, but dont we know it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OrganizedKhaos

I can inform you on most of those topics, but dont we know it

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Those are pretty complex areas of law at the moment. I'll keep my chickens out of Kentucky though :1orglaugh

Lovin it...

You havent tapped my vast resource of knowledge yet.....

(*never let anyone or YOU make you feel you dont have a voice.... you just may be the one that takes us as a nation to the next level... its obvious that you have a passion for the way things are going down... even if you create a domino effect from what you say on here... never underestimate your voice)


***not implying you have.... just an encouragement***

my company gave me a gas card...................whew, now all it casts me is I have to listen to the boss go on about gas prices, and gas politics, and which vehicles are best, well I guess I'm pretty lucky

To answer the original question: we're running out of oil, fast.

oh there's still plenty of oil down there, lot's of it...................it's the gas that's the problem

Do you know how many MILLIONS of barrels we burn a day?

They average the usage to 3 gallons per day for every man woman and child.

Between the plastic products made from byproducts, and gas and oil it takes to run a house hold car... bus....
you get it.

The amount is staggering.
AND if oil on the skin increases ones risk of cancer... what is the long term effects of having plastic everywhere

I know there are sites to say its ok, and blah blah blah...
I'm still wary.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OliX

1 gallon costs around 9$ here.... what are you complaining about -.-

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yes olix we in the US are spoiled about gas prices. Yet British has higher gas prices and their pound is kicking our ass. So, the US need to suck it up and learn how to do business with higher fuel prices. We can adapt in this new global market. Learning Curve which should not even happen, but it has...

It isnt the oil companies fault oil has more of world demand other than the US. China and India are coming online for the need of oil. So that takes way from our over powering need for oil. Those oil producing country in the middle are not the best of friends to my nation.

Country with the lowest oil prices are th countries that produce the oil. Russia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, ect.... The US could be an Oil producer, with out even tapping into anwar. Oil shale which was to costly to produce is now viable, Trillions of barrels for Oil for the US and then there is the Drilling offshore on the continental shelf, Cuba and China are building rigs as we speak or type.. Why not the US? Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic have about 40 billion barrels, Pacific 9 billion barrels, Bearing sea 24 billion barrels...

Technology is there for very safe oil drilling rig.. Olix your in Norway, which has offshore drilling in the North sea. Those rigs can with stand the some most brutal sea on earth. I am sure the Atlantic off the coast of US pose little to rig built by Norway or Sweden. They are the best in the world at build these massive rigs.

I am sorry for this large rant, but I am dumb founded that we are not being self reliant on this issue.. The Dumb Masses of American (not all, some maybe) only care about the price and not the cause of the issue. It is our own fault, this happen more so the US government fault for not building more Refiners. We have not built one in 30 years... With new technology, you would think it would be less cost on environment and still have more production. everyone would win.. Maybe should start locally then work my way up to nation political stage...

As a Note: SF Muni Bus Passes are only $45 a month. Americans need to suck it the fuck up and stop whining like spoiled children. We did this to ourselves. Ride a bike. Take mass transit. Walk. Drive if you can afford it. Natural resources aren't without cost or externalities.

hear hear.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bacchus88

yes olix we in the US are spoiled about gas prices. Yet British has higher gas prices and their pound is kicking our ass. So, the US need to suck it up and learn how to do business with higher fuel prices. We can adapt in this new global market. Learning Curve which should not even happen, but it has...

It isnt the oil companies fault oil has more of world demand other than the US. China and India are coming online for the need of oil. So that takes way from our over powering need for oil. Those oil producing country in the middle are not the best of friends to my nation.

Country with the lowest oil prices are th countries that produce the oil. Russia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, ect.... The US could be an Oil producer, with out even tapping into anwar. Oil shale which was to costly to produce is now viable, Trillions of barrels for Oil for the US and then there is the Drilling offshore on the continental shelf, Cuba and China are building rigs as we speak or type.. Why not the US? Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic have about 40 billion barrels, Pacific 9 billion barrels, Bearing sea 24 billion barrels...

Technology is there for very safe oil drilling rig.. Olix your in Norway, which has offshore drilling in the North sea. Those rigs can with stand the some most brutal sea on earth. I am sure the Atlantic off the coast of US pose little to rig built by Norway or Sweden. They are the best in the world at build these massive rigs.

I am sorry for this large rant, but I am dumb founded that we are not being self reliant on this issue.. The Dumb Masses of American (not all, some maybe) only care about the price and not the cause of the issue. It is our own fault, this happen more so the US government fault for not building more Refiners. We have not built one in 30 years... With new technology, you would think it would be less cost on environment and still have more production. everyone would win.. Maybe should start locally then work my way up to nation political stage...

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I actually worked for National Oilwell Varco building those super futuristic cyber chairs for drilling... most of our customers were chinese and then americans and saudis. Working offshore is mad money.

yeah, no refineries is a bit of a problem, damn treehuggers and safety people.........

Almost seems like it's time to bring back the "Plague." A thinning of the herd wouldn't be too bad would it? Or, as a lesser evil, what about around Alaska?

karl you need a good balance of both tree hugger and greedy CEO like me. keeps the industry in check up still able for industry to move forward..Just now that the balance is offset by alot of facts... Our Government being bought and sold by lobbyist both side of the board right or left...Anwar is the size of South Carolina and place we would be drilling in size maybe of Central Park.


We are the cause of this problem, not look forward until it happen. Time for US to adept or die, we can adept. Will we... vote is still out to many are looking to US government to solve this problem. While Im making bio-fuel in my basement. .80 gal for my F-350 ill do that.

Less taxes on Corps and will me more moving back to US to bring jobs. Ireland has low Corp tax and now Gateway has made it headquarters. I believe just out side of Dublin.

I am going to stop these topic and what it leads is pissing me off. I will be here for hours typing.

Maybe if the US government stopped printing dollar bills like they're going out of style to pay for endless war in the Middle East, we'd have a stable currency worth something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bikerpunk

Maybe if the US government stopped printing dollar bills like they're going out of style to pay for endless war in the Middle East, we'd have a stable currency worth something.

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I'm beginning to wonder if they hired the russians to run the printing presses. This reminds me of the 90s rouble. :1orglaugh :thumb:

Why is oil so expensive? Same reason why the economy is in the SHITTER and FOOD is jumping in price by 45%.

http://www.elctrikchair.com/bush_is_a_retard.jpg

MAH FULLOW UMURUHCANS.
STAY THE COURSE.... DEMOCRACY. TURR-RISTS. FREEDOM.

normally i would blame it on canadians..but not this time..lol...eventually we will run out of oil..so we need to do more about going to an alternative fuel, like hydrogen or something...!! here's what we do. we get some dinosaur dna and start cloning them and then kill them off and bury them..then we getz more oil..hmmm

Here's what we do.

We make BUTANOL out of the cellulose left over
after algae and bacteria, genetically engineered to produce oil, have done their thing.