[never4get]

It would be nice to believe you except for the fact oil companies were the main reason (back in the 1800’s) for anti-trust legislation to begin with. The States had forms of anti trust law, but the Feds in the 1800's got involved. History shows corruption in the industry runs rampant....nature of humanity to be corrupt I suppose and not just limited to the oil industry. Some form of anti trust law dates back to Roman times, medieval times. Collusion, price fixing, can lead to huge profits. How much corruption now with oil? I just don't know. That being said, I doubt there is not some manipulation to max profits on the back of a guy like me who has no choice but to buy the gas at the pump. I have absolutely no sympathy for oil companies, distributors and retailers. I do realize that the majority of price has nothing to do with the Oil Companies, perhaps their activities affect the price at the pump by 10% or so...I just do not give a rats butt about the poor, poor oil companies that so many on this site defend......

[Bishop_Malachi]

Well, you need to give a “rat’s butt” about oil companies, because fear-mongering about their activities is one of the primary factors that empower demogogues/politicians (especially Democrats). Anti-trust legislation designed to preserve competition is agreeable, but too often the economically-ignorant consumer slits his own throat by entertaining ridiculous policies like windfall-profit taxes, “price-gouging” legislation, nationalizing the oil industry, government-mandated price-ceilings, etc., etc. Politicians are all too eager to pander to anxiety about “Big Oil”.

I’m not sure what you mean by, “the majority of price has nothing to do with Oil Companies”. They are half of the price-determining function. The sum total of their input costs determines the bare minimum price they can charge at the current level of output.