ConocoPhillips

[Bailey Guns]

Well, I'm not gonna jump on the "oil companies are price gouging bandwagon". Most of the big companies net .02 to .03 cents per gallon. I wouldn't call that gouging...especially when these companies put the money they do into actually bringing fuel to market.

No...I lay the blame squarely on various levels of government. When you consider California charges .66 cents tax per gallon, my question is, who's really gouging?

[soco11]

First quarter profits are up 43%.

No gouging here.

So are we against private enterprise and people making a profit...and for more government intervention of the free market and more nanny-state regulations? Do we really want the feds to intervene even more than they already do and specify how much profit anyone can make? I guess I am confused. How much would you pay for freedom?

[DFBrews]

Would the profits be as large if the cost of a barrel was say 50 bucks. Hell no they have contracts for x barrels and if the oil is worth 100 bucks a barrel than they make X selling it on the market if it is worth 200 it is worth 2X. Production costs stay the same (besides fuel cost haha) If you are dealing in commodities you sell them for what people will pay look at wheat corn cattle etc. All the prices are up are we yelling about gouging from the farmers? My parents raise potatoes and wheat cattle etc. The higher prices right now are bieng squirreled away for when the prices tank. Just my thoughts. My career is directly related to fuel costs to an extent. More trucking companies will put off doing major repairs when fuel prices are super high and our dealership will slow to a crawl. I live there when we are busy and rely on the savings if it slows way down.

[DFBrews]

And that was from a purely simplistic stand point I know there is a LOT more that goes into fuel prices

[<MADDOG>]

Oil companies do not directly set oil prices, the commodities market does...And a weak US dollar makes it even worse...