The New York Times gets it right, for once.

[MG1968]

Gas Prices Rise on Refineries’ Record Failures - New York Times


The Old Gray Lady finally hits on the real reason why gas prices are so high, refining capacity is having severe difficulty keeping up with demand. Aging refineries, low sulfur fuels, regional blends, accidents, hurricanes, OSHA, and the ever increasing demand contribute to the problem.

There is no Halliburton conspiracy, no collusion between the White House and their supposed puppet masters at Exxon, et al. The environmental lobby, among others, has seen fit to strangle our ability to drill, pump, and refine oil.

 

[OWB]

So the war in Iraq has nothing to do with any of it?

 

[BigPapaVol]

So the war in Iraq has nothing to do with any of it?

The political risk in the Middle East definitely impacts the barrell price of oil, but that impact is minimal, at most. Demand is THE issue.