Welcome! If you compare the 9 cents to the pump price, it's 3% of the cost but if you compare it to the cost to produce it, that's where they get the higher %. In other words, you want to compare their profits only to the cost to drill for the oil and turn it into gas. Transportation, markup for dealers, taxes, etc. should not be part of the profit equation. So while the profit might be 3% of your cost, it might be 9% of their cost.
Thanks. That makes more sense.
Shamefully retreating back to lurker mode.