Gasoline cost a lot because it is made from expensive crude oil.
The industry does pay well, but most the dollars spent at the gasoline pump pays for the crude oil and taxes, lots of taxes.
Currently we import more crude oil than we use ourselves, refine it and export the surplus products. A lot of that is refinery “leftovers” like petroleum coke and residual oil, products that cannot be economically converted to gasoline and diesel. That keeps more jobs in the US, keeps us with some surplus refining capacity and helps the trade balance.
Yup. Suppose any of the 99%’rs want to go to ND and do a little oil rig work? Maybe 1 or 2. Great time of the year in ND. I’m sure even the folks they hire to clean tools make pretty good $$$. Just a small issue of finding a place to stay. I read somewhere that dorms/trailers/pre-fabs are being provided in some places to accommodate.