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Gasoline Retail Deliveries by Refiners Remain at Record Low Levels

http://washington-dispatch.com/post/2012/03/25/Gasoline-Retail-Deliveries-by-Refiners-Continue-to-Fall.aspx

Anyone care to speculate what this means?

Gasoline Retail Deliveries by Refiners Remain at Record Low Levels

http://washington-dispatch.com/post/2012/03/25/Gasoline-Retail-Deliveries-by-Refiners-Continue-to-Fall.aspx

Anyone care to speculate what this means?

That they are looking at an odd slice of the data.

Try

http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_prim_dcu_nus_m.htm

or

http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGFUPUS1&f=M

I think that what it means is that refiners are getting out of the retail business.

Ok.

Thanks for explaining.

Gasoline Retail Deliveries by Refiners Remain at Record Low Levels

http://washington-dispatch.com/post/2012/03/25/Gasoline-Retail-Deliveries-by-Refiners-Continue-to-Fall.aspx

Anyone care to speculate what this means?

The US EIA does not say Gasoline Deliviers rather it says these numbers are Gasoline retail sales.
To get a more up to date chart see...

http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=A103600001&f=M

The chart shows gasoline retail sales dropping significantly in October 2011. Gasoline was hovering about $3.40 per gallon at this time. At this time, national unemployment was officially 9% and a Republican fillbuster in the Senate had successfully blocked Obama's jobs/stimulus/unemployment benefits extension bill. Occupy Wall Street was in full swing - and the EU was struggling with a debt crisis. If you look at gasoline price chart - you'll notice that gasoline prices were trending downward in the fall of 2011 until the Christmas holiday at which point it climbed back up spiking at about $4 per gallon around the beginning of 2012 April before dropping again.


The drop in retail sales means a signficant number of people are driving less.

Here are a few things I found that might be of interest in this discussion

Energy in Brief - How dependent are we on foreign oil?
http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/foreign_oil_dependence.cfm

U.S. Total Gasoline Retail sales by Refiners (Thousand gallons per day) from 1983
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=A103600001&f=M

U.S. Product Supplied of Finished Motor Gasoline (Thousand Barrels/?) from 1945
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGFUPUS1&f=M

I do not see (understand) the relationship between the last 2 links. [Set your cursor on the curve(s) to display quantity and date.]

Here are a few things I found that might be of interest in this discussion

Energy in Brief - How dependent are we on foreign oil?
http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/foreign_oil_dependence.cfm

U.S. Total Gasoline Retail sales by Refiners (Thousand gallons per day) from 1983
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=A103600001&f=M

U.S. Product Supplied of Finished Motor Gasoline (Thousand Barrels/?) from 1945
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGFUPUS1&f=M

I do not see (understand) the relationship between the last 2 links. [Set your cursor on the curve(s) to display quantity and date.]

FWIW

The last link is the on-hand supply or inventory - the regular slight drop in inventory is probably due to refineries going "off-line" for annual maintenance. there is 42 U.S. gallons to a Barrel.

The second to the last link is how many gallons of gasoline the refiners sold.

FWIW

The last link is the on-hand supply or inventory - the regular slight drop in inventory is probably due to refineries going "off-line" for annual maintenance. there is 42 U.S. gallons to a Barrel.

The second to the last link is how many gallons of gasoline the refiners sold.

45 to 45.5 gallons of refined product are produced from a barrel.

45 to 45.5 gallons of refined product are produced from a barrel.


Is the increase from 42 to 45 gallons due to adding ethanol into gasoline?

Is the increase from 42 to 45 gallons due to adding ethanol into gasoline?

No.

During the refining process long chain molecules are broken down. In that process oxygen atoms are picked up resulting in greater volume ... iirc.

Is the increase from 42 to 45 gallons due to adding ethanol into gasoline?

No, it's just the normal refining. Distillation and cracking results in a lower average density.

Hi All:

All told, inventories are controlled tightly to maintain a profitable price point. No profit, no gasoline deliveries. That said, gasoline is holding in the $3.79 range here in Northern IL and why is the real question with demand down so much.

Because gasoline is not free market where decreased demand results in lower prices which dries up supply to match at the new lower price point.

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

Wait for it. :( Wholesale gasoline has jumped around 30 cents over the last three to four weeks. You'll see the pump price jump in another two to four weeks. Gasoline is trading at $2.89 a gallon this morning but was trading at a low a few weeks ago of $2.57.

One of my employees noted the prices at the BP by her house went up a dime yesterday.

Al

Gasoline is like food, people have to have it but they will try to limit purchases the old fashioned way. Once the economy perks up (looks likely the way the Presidential polls have been going) demand will explode and people will remember their old habits.

This morning at my brenchmark station

E10 @ $3.319
Diesel @ $3.599

Premium - a guess - $3.69?

Apparently export demand is still down.

... speculator anxiety?

Hi 50 mpg:

Here in northern IL, cheap gasoline can still be found for < $4.00 at $396. Most suburban stations are charging $4.05 +. In the City, the average is $4.40 per. Of course its blamed on a fire at a WI refinery. And WI prices are still less expensive although still high.

The only thing good about it is it is making people consider fuel efficient vehicles foe their next purchase and should really help Ford with the C-MAX and Fusion HEV and PHEV variants.

Wayne

Hi 50 mpg:

Here in northern IL, cheap gasoline can still be found for < $4.00 at $396. Most suburban stations are charging $4.05 +. In the City, the average is $4.40 per. Of course its blamed on a fire at a WI refinery. And WI prices are still less expensive although still high.

The only thing good about it is it is making people consider fuel efficient vehicles foe their next purchase and should really help Ford with the C-MAX and Fusion HEV and PHEV variants.

Wayne

I like to think of it as the excuse of the month program or something like that.:rolleyes: Because the next time the price is high and one of the conditions in the previous excuse is not present then it's kind of like, "Oh, that's only valid on the second Tuesday after new moon and before the first quarter...in a month that ends in y.":D

Hi Larry:

I think you are ready to run for Congress! Or at least as a VP candidate ;)

California and their low Benzene boutique fuels are less expensive than IL fuel and it has been this way for years now???

Wayne