[Tax-chick]

I was just being sarcastic, in my extremely understated way, to the original poster :-). I don't believe in boycotts, nor in "price gouging," as I am a follower of Thomas Sowell.

Appreciate your information, though ... much of it is new to me. I studied oil markets in college, back in the mid-80's, but with an emphasis on investment, not on the distribution process.

[SAJ]

The bottom-line point about gasoline in the US is that, as another poster mentioned, it's almost a pure commodity. The 'almost' is present because of boutique fuel requirements in numerous parts of the country.

BUT, for shipping purposes, it's far easier to move around a generic blend, then customise it to local spec at the finishing refinery. Simplifies swaps, too.