Calif. gas prices jump by up to 20 cents overnight

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I saw $4.95 for regular this morning at the Shell at the corner of Bundy and Olympic. Granted it was at a different station (United Oil), but last week regular was $4.03 at the corner of National and Castle Heights.

Cap and Trade is coming is 3 months. You'll be fine. Stay there.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

$4.639 for regular at the Shell stations in Windsor, California. That is a forty cent jump in less than four days.

It's all because of the Military industrial complex and the reign of Terror of the Bush administration. Oil Men Oil Men Oil Men.....

Now Repeat Chorus 3 times and pass the pipe..!!!!

We're looking at $3.55 around here. Down from $3.89 a couple months ago. High gas prices rock. Keeps cars off the road. I went to the airport this morning to pick up my brother who's fleeing colder temperatures in Germany for a couple of weeks. Took me 40 minutes in rush hour traffic. Best I ever did when there's no traffic is 35 minutes. Life is good when morning rush hour slows you down only 5 minutes on this 25+ mile drive.

I bet if Bush was still President you would be signing another tune. Funny how you libs raised hell when Gas went up during the Bush admin and now it's no problem. Liberalism just has no moral compass.

[decocker 7,198]

i don't see the problem of high gas prices going away under any administration. moral compass or not..

[Mateo&Raquel 28]

Blame President Bush all you want...you're only making yourself look like a nutt...Gas was $1.89/gallon when President Bush left office.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Remember Californians... THINK GREEN! *This message has been brought to you by Gov. Moonbeam Brown and friends.

http://news.yahoo.com/short-supplies-keep-gas-prices-rising-calif-235036731--finance.html

Short supplies keep gas prices rising in California

By GILLIAN FLACCUS | Associated Press – 13 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California gas prices continued surging Friday, adding another 17 cents per gallon on average, and the increases are expected to continue for at least several more days, ensuring long lines and short tempers at pumps around the state.

A week of soaring costs has led some stations to close and others to charge record prices — in some places $5 or more — as California leapfrogged Hawaii as the state with the most expensive fuel. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded across California was nearly $4.49 on Friday, 32 cents more than a week ago and the highest statewide average in the nation, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge report.

The national average is about $3.79 a gallon, the highest ever for this time of year. However, gas prices in many other states have started decreasing, which is typical for October.

Rebecca Olson, 43, of Irvine, drove to a Costco in Tustin hoping to find lower prices than the $4.65 in her neighborhood, but the pumps were closed.

The part-time preschool teacher said her husband already spends $500 a month on gas, in part because he commutes nearly 100 miles a day to a new sales job after being unemployed for a year.

"All of this is killing us, just because we've got big cars," she said.

They've already parked their GMC Yukon SUV indefinitely. If gas prices keep rising, Olson said they'll sell her husband's Infiniti G35 that requires premium fuel and buy a more efficient car, while making their children ride their bikes to their activities.

"Just last night, we were looking at economical cars, we were car shopping," she said.

The average price for regular gasoline in California hit an all-time high of $4.61 per gallon in June 2008. That could be eclipsed this weekend.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, expects the increase in prices will slow for several days and then level off. He predicted the average price would peak between $4.60 and $4.85.

A web of refinery and transmission problems is to blame, analysts said. The situation is compounded by a pollution law that requires a special blend of cleaner-burning gasoline from April to October, said Denton Cinquegrana, executive editor of the Oil Price Information Service, which helps AAA compile its price survey.

"We use the phrase 'the perfect storm,' and you know what, this current one makes those other perfect storms look like a drizzle. I don't want to scare anyone, but this is a big problem," Cinquegrana said. "Run-outs are happening left and right."

Among the recent disruptions, an Aug. 6 fire at a Chevron Corp. refinery in Richmond left one of the region's largest refineries producing at a reduced capacity, and a Chevron pipeline that moves crude oil to Northern California also was shut down.

There was some good news.

Exxon Mobil Corp. said a refinery in Torrance returned to normal operations Friday after a power failure Monday disrupted production for most of the week. State officials acknowledged that reduced supplies triggered a price spike but with the refinery coming back online, prices should start falling.

"The wholesale market appears to have peaked and is heading down," said Alison apRoberts, a spokeswoman for the California Energy Commission. "Because it takes a little while for the price reductions to funnel through the system, consumers at the pumps should start to see some declines over the next week."

Gasoline inventories in California, however, are still at their lowest point in more than 10 years, a situation made worse by the mandate for the special summer gasoline blend. Few refineries outside the state can make it, meaning there are few outside sources to draw from for help, Cinquegrana said.

The California Air Resources Board was reviewing a request from the California Independent Oil Marketers Association for a waiver that would allow gas stations to begin selling winter-blend gasoline before Halloween.

David Clegern, a spokesman for the air board, said the California Energy Commission would have to review gas inventories to confirm there is a shortage and assess what effect the switch would have on air quality.

ApRoberts said that the commission has determined that the state has plenty of gasoline to meet consumer demand.

Gil Duran, a spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, said in an email that his office is "monitoring the situation closely."

While prices were higher everywhere in the state, there were variances. Yuba City had the lowest average price at $4.33, according to AAA, while San Francisco was highest at $4.60. Prices averaged $4.54 in the Los Angeles area, $4.52 in San Diego, $4.40 in Fresno and $4.36 in Sacramento.

A station at Vandenberg Air Force Base on the Central Coast was selling gas for $3.91, while the price was $5.69 at a station in Calabasas, outside Los Angeles.

Some stations ran out of gas and shut down rather than take the risk of buying gas at soaring prices only to be stuck with a glut of overpriced fuel if prices dropped or if customers refused to absorb the extra cost that would be passed along to them.

The price of diesel fuel has also increased, adding significant costs for truckers who typically put hundreds of dollars' worth of gas in their tanks. The average price for diesel statewide was $4.48 a gallon Friday — 35 cents more than a year ago, according to AAA.

At a truck stop and gas station off state Route 99, on the outskirts of Fresno, independent trucker Joel Vargas said if diesel hits $5 per gallon, he will probably stop driving because he would be losing money.

"With that kind of price, I won't be able to support myself and my family," he said.

Other residents were taking steps to cut their gas spending.

In Sacramento, restaurant owner Sandra Aboufares spent the morning calling around to find the cheapest price and wound up at a Costco where cars were lined up around the block to pay $3.93 per gallon. Aboufares said she and her husband have cut back on catering out-of-town events, and if prices continue to rise, they might have to suspend free delivery.

"We're trying not to add a delivery fee because you're competing against big chains," she said. "But when people ask for delivery, we say, 'Aw, could you pick it up?'"

Victor Parrott, of Irvine, lost his electrical engineering job at Boeing Co. more than two years ago and was already accustomed to planning his errands to maximize gas efficiency. Now, he said, he will have to cut back even more after paying $4.69 a gallon Thursday — 74 cents more than what he paid a week ago.

"It's killing our pocketbook. You can't budget for it because you don't know what it's going to be," Parrott said as he left a grocery store with his two toddlers. "You just have to put in less. Instead of a half-tank, you put in a quarter-tank."

Edited October 6, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

You can also add a 24 cent per gallon and an average 8% sales tax. That is about 50 cents right there. That Chevron thing should be causing any disruption - the fire was in the diesel unit, and the price of diesel has actually come down in price. Another refinery had a power failure for a few hours. The refineries will all shut down this month, to do maintenance and convert over to the winter blends. The problem seems to be one of supply, and while the supply is low, the refineries want to make that switch-over early. Blame the EPA, for not doing what they normally do, and allow for the mixing of blends when there is a shortage, and also blame them for not letting the refineries get this yearly fiasco over early.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwXPueu-RM

Edited October 6, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I bet if Bush was still President you would be signing another tune. Funny how you libs raised hell when Gas went up during the Bush admin and now it's no problem. Liberalism just has no moral compass.

Actually, traffic was lighter in the summer of 2008 when gas went up to $4.00 a gallon down here, too. I liked the lighter traffic then as much as I do now.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Blame President Bush all you want...you're only making yourself look like a nutt...Gas was $1.89/gallon when President Bush left office.

All we'd have to do is tank the economy as badly as is was tanking then, shed three quarters a million jobs every month, shrink the GDP by 9% again and gas will be below $2.00. I think that was Newt's idea when he proposed to bring back $2.00 gas during the primaries. It's about the only way to do it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwXPueu-RM

The good news is that a substantial part of that money they pay gets handed out to Alaskan residents.

You really should LOVE Californians, Kip

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

All we'd have to do is tank the economy as badly as is was tanking then, shed three quarters a million jobs every month, shrink the GDP by 9% again and gas will be below $2.00. I think that was Newt's idea when he proposed to bring back $2.00 gas during the primaries. It's about the only way to do it.

So you mean in 2006 when the Dems running for congress promised lower gas prices, that is what they intended? It worked!

All we would have to do is announce that we will increase oil production in the Gulf (wouldn't actually have to do it, mind you) build the pipeline from Canada to Texas, and increase oil exploration in the US. Voila! The speculation driven market will drop overnight and MOST of us will see a reduction in gas prices. Not necessarily California because their gas prices are self inflicted wounds.

A REAL war in the mid-east would help greatly. During the Iran-Iraq war the price of oil dropped below $10 per barrel. How else to they pay for a war besides flood the market?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

All we'd have to do is tank the economy as badly as is was tanking then, shed three quarters a million jobs every month, shrink the GDP by 9% again and gas will be below $2.00. I think that was Newt's idea when he proposed to bring back $2.00 gas during the primaries. It's about the only way to do it.

Clue: The economy is still tanking.

Edited October 6, 2012 by The Patriot

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/calif-gas-prices-equal-time-high-102715507.html

California gas prices equal all-time high

By GILLIAN FLACCUS | Associated Press – 5 hrs ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The price of gasoline equaled the all-time average high in California of $4.61 a gallon Saturday, fueled by a reduced supply and a volatile market.

Prices throughout the state were expected to increase for several more days before leveling off, after a temporary reduction in supply triggered a price spike that saw fuming motorists paying $5 or more per gallon in some locations and station owners shutting down pumps in others.

AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge report released Saturday said the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded across California rose 12 cents from its Friday mark of about $4.49.

Saturday's price, the highest in the nation, equaled the record average high for California set in June 2008 of $4.61.

The Golden State leapfrogged Hawaii as the state with the most expensive fuel. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded across California was 47 cents more than a week ago, according to the AAA report.

The national average Saturday was about $3.81 a gallon, the highest ever for this time of year. However, gas prices in many other states have started decreasing, which is typical for October.

The dramatic surge came because of a power outage Monday at a Southern California refinery reduced supply in an already fragile and volatile market, analysts said, but the refinery came back online Friday and prices were expected to stabilize by next week.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, predicted the average price could peak as high as $4.85.

"There is some relief in sight but probably not for a couple of days. Early next week is when we may see some more significant declines ... but at retail prices, prices may climb for the next two to three days before they start to come down," he said.

While prices were higher everywhere in California, there were variances Saturday. Chico had the lowest average price at $4.46, according to AAA, while San Luis Obispo was highest at $4.71. Prices averaged $4.67 in San Diego, $4.66 in the Los Angeles area, $4.55 in Fresno and $4.49 in Sacramento.

Rebecca Olson, 43, of Irvine, drove to a Costco in Tustin on Friday hoping to find lower prices than the $4.65 in her neighborhood, but the pumps were closed.

The part-time preschool teacher said her husband already spends $500 a month on gas, in part because he commutes nearly 100 miles a day to a new sales job after being unemployed for a year.

"All of this is killing us, just because we've got big cars," she said.

They've already parked their GMC Yukon SUV indefinitely. If gas prices keep rising, Olson said they'll sell her husband's Infiniti G35 that requires premium fuel and buy a more efficient car, while making their children ride their bikes to their activities.

"Just last night, we were looking at economical cars, we were car shopping," she said.

A web of refinery and transmission problems is to blame, analysts said. The situation is compounded by a pollution law that requires a special blend of cleaner-burning gasoline from April to October, said Denton Cinquegrana, executive editor of the Oil Price Information Service, which helps AAA compile its price survey.

"We use the phrase 'the perfect storm,' and you know what, this current one makes those other perfect storms look like a drizzle. I don't want to scare anyone, but this is a big problem," Cinquegrana said. "Run-outs are happening left and right."

Among the recent disruptions, an Aug. 6 fire at a Chevron Corp. refinery in Richmond left one of the region's largest refineries producing at a reduced capacity, and a Chevron pipeline that moves crude oil to Northern California also was shut down.

There was some good news.

Exxon Mobil Corp. said a refinery in Torrance returned to normal operations Friday after a power failure Monday disrupted production for most of the week. State officials said with the refinery coming back online, prices should start falling.

"The wholesale market appears to have peaked and is heading down," said Alison apRoberts, a spokeswoman for the California Energy Commission. "Because it takes a little while for the price reductions to funnel through the system, consumers at the pumps should start to see some declines over the next week."

Gasoline inventories in California, however, are still at their lowest point in more than 10 years, a situation made worse by the mandate for the special summer gasoline blend. Few refineries outside the state can make it, meaning there are few outside sources to draw from for help, Cinquegrana said.

The California Air Resources Board was reviewing a request from the California Independent Oil Marketers Association for a waiver that would allow gas stations to begin selling winter-blend gasoline before Halloween.

David Clegern, a spokesman for the air board, said the California Energy Commission would have to review gas inventories to confirm there is a shortage and assess what effect the switch would have on air quality.

ApRoberts said Friday that the commission has determined that the state has plenty of gasoline to meet consumer demand.

Gil Duran, a spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, said in an email that his office is "monitoring the situation closely."

A station at Vandenberg Air Force Base on the Central Coast was selling gas for $3.91, while the price was $5.69 at a station in Calabasas, outside Los Angeles.

Some stations ran out of gas and shut down rather than take the risk of buying gas at soaring prices only to be stuck with a glut of overpriced fuel if prices dropped or if customers refused to absorb the extra cost that would be passed along to them.

The price of diesel fuel has also increased, adding significant costs for truckers who typically put hundreds of dollars' worth of gas in their tanks. The average price for diesel statewide was $4.50 a gallon Saturday — 37 cents more than a year ago, according to AAA.

At a truck stop and gas station off state Route 99, on the outskirts of Fresno, independent trucker Joel Vargas said if diesel hits $5 per gallon, he will probably stop driving because he would be losing money.

"With that kind of price, I won't be able to support myself and my family," he said.

Other residents were taking steps to cut their gas spending.

Victor Parrott, of Irvine, lost his electrical engineering job at Boeing Co. more than two years ago and was already accustomed to planning his errands to maximize gas efficiency. Now, he said, he will have to cut back even more after paying $4.69 a gallon Thursday — 74 cents more than what he paid a week ago.

"It's killing our pocketbook. You can't budget for it because you don't know what it's going to be," Parrott said as he left a grocery store with his two toddlers. "You just have to put in less. Instead of a half-tank, you put in a quarter-tank."

Edited October 6, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[scotinmass 588]

Blame President Bush all you want...you're only making yourself look like a nutt...Gas was $1.89/gallon when President Bush left office.

The first time I came to the US was memorial day weekend 2008. We drove to Maine and the roads and hotels were empty on what would usually be one of the busiest weekends of the year because gas was $4.29 a gallon and who was the president?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The first time I came to the US was memorial day weekend 2008. We drove to Maine and the roads and hotels were empty on what would usually be one of the busiest weekends of the year because gas was $4.29 a gallon and who was the president?

When I traveled in November 2008, gas prices were $2.10 and headed down to a low of $1.89. Who was President?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Why is either president getting the blame? The 2008 pricing was clearly a bubble that burst and caused petrol to crash there after for about a year.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Sousuke