Big Burt, I'm not defending Big Oil, it seems an overly complex and obtuse system for a basic commodity and I'm sure there is probably a good portion of "we can do this because we can do this" in the recent actions. But...from what I understand, there are 3 centers of oil refining in the U.S.; Cali, the central Gulf (e. TX and LA), and coastal PA & NJ. Again, from just what I've read, the West Coast system is separated from the rest of the country, there are no pipelines from say the central Gulf to Cali. I suspect that because of a more limited "closed" system, the West Coast region can experience more volatility if there are "issues".
And as AGW has said, I suspect that the Cali blends are the most expensive to make given all the restrictions of what the gas can and can't be. I wish things were easier for you guys out there but I think various geographies come together against you on this one.
P.S. full disclosure, I probably own some big oil stocks in various retirement funds (haven't looked for a while). When they make money, I make money...
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