[thackney]

It seems to be more than a co-incidence that so many US refineries are having production issues when the price of crude is so low. Keep the gasoline supply tight by whatever means, so you can keep the pump price high.

I keep seeing people make this claim and do not understand it. It is not one company. BP doesn't shutdown their refinery to allow ExxonMobil to make more money while BP themselves lose millions during their shutdown.

[nascarnation]

I just got my FIRST EVER GasBuddy price DROP alert!

“Expect gas prices to drop 20 cents in Indianapolis”

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Collusion in industry is not unheard of. I was told of a senior exec in Calgary who claimed that, though the big oil companies all have different executives, management and ownership are the same and therefore their ‘actions’ are the same.

In the US, there SEEMS to be some sort of retail price competition at the pump. Not so in Canada. Prices move in lock step. I know from personal experience, it is not the middle management marketers nor the individual station operators that collude but who knows about the discussions that occur over dinner and a few drinks at 319 5th Avenue SW? I’m sure such discussions occur in swank settings and much more private settings in Houston, London or Vienna!

One can only hope that there are breakthroughs in electricity and batteries so that oil no longer has such a stranglehold on so many.