Deseret News | Gasoline surges past $4 in Utah

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Gasoline surges past $4 in Utah

Poorer Today | 12:27 a.m. June 13, 2008

This appears to be the trend... Buckle up.

No more fun in the sun, or anywhere else for that matter. It is all about gasoline, and simply getting to and from work.

Adapt | 1:14 a.m. June 13, 2008

I think the key is changing habits. If the oil companies are making record profits, then I'm going to buy less gasoline so their profits drop. If the cost of gasoline is reasonable considering the production costs and global demand, then I'm going to buy less gasoline so I can save money. If the cost of gasoline is high because people are buying crude oil futures, then I'm going to buy less gasoline so the price of crude comes "barreling" down (Pun intended). I'm noticing a trend to how I can solve each gas related problem.....

BBKing | 2:16 a.m. June 13, 2008

The good news about speculation is that, as with any speculation it gets overblown. And once that happens you will see a real rapid collapse of the price.

This is just like the housing market. For a period of time it is all the rage and speculators buy up everything. This drives the costs up (suppy and demand) and with higher costs, more people get into the speculating thinking they will ride the elevator up.

Those that get in early make the big money. Those that get in the middle make some. Those Wall Street speculators that get in late get left holding bag.

If you read the commodities expert from Goldman Sachs has been driving so much of this speculation. Insiders they this 39 year old guru started the craze. Goldman Sachs may get burned but the fact is so many people watch them.

They are slowly diminishing their exposure to oil futures. This means that the speculation is about to end, and the price of a barrel of oil is going to come crashing down over the next few months.

Hopeful we can open up some resources in the mean time. More stable sources of oil commodity.

Comments continue below

Sid Vic | 3:19 a.m. June 13, 2008

Tonight I saw a shiny new Prius with built in cop lights. About time the cops junked those gas hog Chevys.

Options | 3:58 a.m. June 13, 2008

We should all thank the Democratic controlled congress for holding up oil drilling in Alaska and offshore for these high energy prices. Demand increases and supply stays the same or decreases equals high prices! We have but three options: A:Increase the supply-drill less expensive oil in Alaska and offshore. B: Decrease demand--use less energy-alot less. C: Continue to pay high or even higher prices. Since this is mostly a political issue, the solution is largely political. Don't vote for Democrats!

CRAZINESS | 5:39 a.m. June 13, 2008

Try this on for size Utah....

Gas at a local store here, in rural Maine, one morning was $3.99 a gallon... By afternoon, it was $4.30 a gallon... what's interesting is the next day the owner was back out changing the price to $4.22

All this happened in the space of 3 days..... Seems the owner couldn't decide how much money he needed for his next vacation!!! I am done buying gas there!!

So now let's talk about price fixing.... and bleeding the citizens....

Across the border in Canada, only 2 hours away, gas is $6.38 an American gallon!!!

And a local motorcycle shop in the area sold over 25 motorcycles just last month!!!

YUP I AGREE, THE WAVE RUNNIN', BOATIN', AND 4 WHEELIN' FUN IS OVER.... SURVIVAL MODE SHOULD BE KICKIN' IN

More Options | 7:22 a.m. June 13, 2008

Alaska will provide more oil. But not short term, and not cheap. There may be a bit of a price correction as speculators get out, but cheap gas is gone because cheap oil is gone. We need to start responding to it and quit complaining.
I'm voting democrat.

Psychological Impact? | 7:37 a.m. June 13, 2008

How about a real impact. This is not in people's imaginations.

Dave | 7:54 a.m. June 13, 2008

We need 'single payer' gas.

Alaska oil not Cheap? | 8:01 a.m. June 13, 2008

Drilling in Alaska will provide more oil long term as will drilling off the coast. Nuclear options and incentives for oil companies to build more refineries are also needed. All of these policies are contrary to the Democrats and their tree hugging environuts who are the real villains that got us into this mess. A bill was just introduced this week to allow off shore exploration 50-150 miles off the coasts and it was rejected in committee 9-6 by the Democrats. Before the Dem took over gas was 2.19 a gallon. Now it is over $4. Sometimes you get what you vote for.

Anonymous | 8:29 a.m. June 13, 2008

"hitting the bakes less aggressively"--hate it when bakes get hit

Idaho | 8:40 a.m. June 13, 2008

The environmental and man caused global warming movement pushed by the Democrats and the Liberal press is strangling our economy. Even If more oil and gas is brought on line, the refining capacity is not there. The cost of meeting all the out of control regulations is crippling natural resource development. Unless a change is made we're in trouble!

Anonymous | 9:06 a.m. June 13, 2008

Those liberals and Democrats who force America to stop exploration and drilling are idiots. Since we are not doing It China is. They have made their home a few hundred miles of our coast and have started drilling. What we dumb Americans are saying is we will play by the rules and not destroy the Environment but since we wont, other countrys come in and do it anyway.

I sat in a meeting with two Hard Core Democrats and they were actually excited about the price of gas going up. They said it would reduce green house gases and help the environment because people are driving less. What a bunch of retards.

Do they not know that everything they buy is going through the roof. I thought, how could they take this stand and I figured it out. Both make a very good salary and one is not married nor has kids so his disposable income is much greater than most. Therefore Gas prices and food prices are not hurting him yet. When it starts to hurt them we will see if they feel the same way.

Pragmatist | 9:08 a.m. June 13, 2008

So open up Alaska, and get what? Enough oil to lower the price $0.10/gal for 5 years, and then it is gone. Why don't we save it for when others are running out and we need it strategically? Why don't we spend the money instead on coming up with a solution, instead of looking for a quick temporary minor fix?
As for Democrats being responsible for oil's surge in price, why don't we look at underlying causes, the War in Iraq (republican) borrowing for that war from China (Repbublican) falling value of the Dollar due to said borrowing and the corresponding increase in national debt (republican).
I'm voting Democrat, after all, if you had elected Colonel Sanders president and the price of chicken quadrupled, I doubt you would be blaming the party out of power.

yeah right | 9:14 a.m. June 13, 2008

Typical Utah response- like all our problems it's all the fault of the liberal demons, because speculation and inflation and the devaluation of the dollar are not really happening, and everything would be paradise on earth without those satanic libs in the evil blue states who are the font of all evil and want to destroy America.

*cough..cough*

No problem could ever have a complex set of causes...it's the liberal under the bed!!

Anonymous | 9:23 a.m. June 13, 2008

Pragmatist:

Where did you get your figures of only lowering it .10. Thats great work? Can I see your calculations. And How did you determine how much oil was in Alaska, Can I see your figures? The middle east has been supply oil for quite some time and they havent run out. There is one scientist that believes the earth continues to regenrate it's oil. Who knows?

I do agree with you on the War but in a different way. I believe that the middle east countrys are sticking up for their brothers and figure they can not win us in a physical war so they will fight us by raising our gas prices.

I could care less who you vote for because at this point I don't think any of the politicaians care about fixing the problem, they only care about winning an election.

Lets do both, Lets start massive exploration and drilling while we somehow come up with an alternative fuel. Even if no one drove a single car, we still need oil for everything from Plastics to Food. We can not live without oil.

Anonymous | 9:31 a.m. June 13, 2008

Yeah right:

I am not blaming anyone for the mess we are in. The fact is we are in the mess. But when you get in a mess you don't sit around and do nothing, you try and fix the problem. Congress tried to pass laws to start exploration and it was killed by democrats. I could care less about whoes to blame but we need to start drilling and become self sufficient.

If you don't want to start drilling, then come up with a better solution. Don't say we need to do this or that or come up with an alternative unless you have the alternative. I would love to power a car with water or air but the technology isn't there.

Tell me what we should do? The problem is supply and demand. We need more supply. You say we need to find an alternative but you can't tell me what it is. I would say you are unrealistic. You start drilling and fix the problem short term and then you figure out the long term solutions.

I have sat in so many meetings where nothing

Refineries | 9:38 a.m. June 13, 2008

We need more refineries in America.
We need to utilize our own natural resources.
Oil is not only used for gasoline, just look around your home.
Democrats block alot of this from happening, just search "ontheissues" + "Nancy Pelosi" + "Energy" + "Oil".
Enviromentalist use scare tactics & peoples ignorance to help block these advances.

Pragmatist - blaming the price of oil on the war & repubs is ignorance. The war was authorized through the democratic controlled congress with pres. Bush, only now the dems are backing away from this faster than someone from an ugly blind date. We all supported this war after an emotional 9/11 event, we made the decision based on emotion & not on logic.

Anonymous | 9:40 a.m. June 13, 2008

If other countries are coming to drill off shore to drain our oil and are coming and buying up our real estate, and are shipping our scrap metal over to China from every port in America...who's watching the pot? Certainly not our politicians who are pandering to the enviornmentalists.

Richard | 9:41 a.m. June 13, 2008

Anonymous 9:23 says "We can not live without oil."

The truth is we can live without oil. Mankind has lived for thousands of years without using oil. We just can't continue our current lifestyle without eventually finding a suitable substitute for oil.

I believe there are many inventions in our future that will find good alternative energy and chemical replacements for oil.

What we probably cannot do is continue to live 90 miles from our daily job and commute alone in an SUV. We cannot fly our whole family twice a year to a far off exotic vacation (or even to Grandma's in Florida). We cannot build a 10,000 sq ft home for a family of four in a cold climate and keep the indoor temperature at 72 degrees. Etc., etc..

BBKing | 10:04 a.m. June 13, 2008

People really underappreciate the role of the speculator. Everyone has heard the term but may not have followed it.

Just three months ago the Saudia Arabian oil minister said that with current supply and demand oil should be at, I believe it was $60 a barrel. Throw in inflation/dollar and that could be $65-70 a barrel.

Speculators are looking at the long term and look at war, environmental regulations, etc. If we could expedite shale oil that would drop speculation. If they open ANWR that would drop it a great deal. Bernake and Sect Poulsen signaling that they are going to support the dollar will help speculation, if policies follow.

And since speculation is based on long term expectations of supply versus demand, opening ANWR or Shale oil now tells them that supply will be readily available without tanks or aircraf carriers in the years to come. Speculated prices will come down.

Let the free market solve these problems. Even Bernake agrees that the Fed Reserve intrusion in the 1930's made it much worse. People have a way of finding better routes in life. Government doesn't have the best track record.

Good things will happen, if we let it! Noforce.

gf | 10:06 a.m. June 13, 2008

It was Katrina, not the Democrats that started this. Why didn't Bush bring it to a vote or veto? hahaha, it's that time of year when blame is the game.

How abot the three largest increases were during Republica presidential terms. Suprisingly all three times we were running out of oil, and the solution was simple 1973(alaskan pipline) 1980's (enviorment sensitive California coast line of California leases sold for below value by James Watts) and now we know that we are being economically blackmailed by the oil companies for sensitive off shore Alaska coastline sold below values, no doubt.

It's amazing up until Katrina, we had no problems, did it not only wipe out New Orleans, but took the "easy oil" with it.

Judith | 10:16 a.m. June 13, 2008

Count yourself lucky. Here in England Diesel is ï¿½5.86 a gallon and unleaded petrol ï¿½5.00 a gallon! And to make matters worse the oli tank drivers are on strike for better pay - they only get ï¿½35000 per year. So here we can expect fuel prices to increase

Idaho | 10:20 a.m. June 13, 2008

There is a huge gap between the natural resource development our environment can sustain and what the current enviromental regulations will allow. We need to be moving to narrow that gap but the liberal trend is to widen it. Part of the problem is that very few of the "Enviros" feel the consequences of their regulations in their daily lives. For those of us who make their living off the land, every new regulation takes more money from our pockets to overcome and stay in business.

Re.: Richard | 10:25 a.m. June 13, 2008

Thank you, I feel better now, I only drive 76 miles daily, in a 1962 pontiac bonneville (389 V8, 4 barrel carb.) not an SUV, St. Thomas once a year, my grandma lives in Colorado (we drive the bonnie), I built a 5200 sq. ft home, family of four, indoor temperature of 70 ... Whew, made it under the bar!

LOL - I'm just trying to be funny.

We cannot live without oil unless we want to live in the middle ages, but progress happens, resources need to be used/cultivated but with care to the environment (& that is happening)

Idaho re. gf | 10:56 a.m. June 13, 2008

First of all, this whole thing is much bigger than any one weather event. and secondly, Bush cannot bring anything to a vote, that is controlled by congress. Thirdly, we have never been "running out of oil", the resources are there to be had. The thing that is lacking is ability to develop our own resources in the face of the enviromental regulations as they now exist.

Utah Resident | 10:57 a.m. June 13, 2008

I absolutely LOVE listening to liberals and moderate republicans complain about high gas prices when they've done absolutely NOTHING in the past 30 years to develop domestic and alternative sources of energy. Serves you right!

Liberalism is a sickness of dependency... dependency on foreign oil is just one faucet of the sickness.

Anonymous | 11:36 a.m. June 13, 2008

Invention is driven by need. I believe we will see some extraordinary new technologies, revelations, and breakthroughs in the next few years. I have learned that anytime you think you have a corner on the market, something new comes along and in a few years that big monster such as IBM gets beat by little ole Bill Gates.

Same with the Oil industry. I think they are going to wish they never woke the sleeping giant. Instead of raising prices slowly, they woke us all up. We are going to find ways of travel that will make us laugh at combustion engines.

I am excited and scared at the same time. Lets be part of the solution. Lets put our heads together and fix the problem. We need to forget who is to blame. What an increadible opportunity for hundreds of new inventions.

Anonymous | 12:07 p.m. June 13, 2008

Whatever happened to that oil that was going to be $20 a barrel and finance the war that was going to be over in 6 months?

Halliburton is a WHOLE LOT richer. Are you?

Speak out | 12:14 p.m. June 13, 2008

This is not about the democrats or republicans, this is about the OIL MAFIA, they are making money out of our pockets easy!!! here in UTAH public transport SUCKS!!! Hybrid cars too expensive, gas expensive. WE need to speak to our goverment and do something!!!Oil owner are people like our President making money thanks to a shame war, shareholder of some oil companies, c'mon people, our own people have the power to change gas prices!!! its just money!!! they want more money!!! we have the technology already to NOT use more gas anymore or less!!! but they want to have a monopoly around oil!!! and we pay for that!!!
PEOPLE SPEAK OUT!!! Utah, we need more buses on the street, more highways, what about a subway!!!c'mon it si progress, I know some of you want to be the forever farmer and small town, but because utah politicians think like that we are paying more to drive our own cars!!!
Im sick of paing tooo much for gas!!!

John | 12:18 p.m. June 13, 2008

Invention is driven by need, we already have the technology but it is not being allowed to be used. A 1995 Geo Metro gets 50 mpg, not even the smallest cars or hybrids today get that kind of gas mileage. Car companies are in bed with the oil companies in keeping oil consumption high. Add in that we've had 2 oil company executives running the white houses who made an energy policy in secret and voila!

Hypermiler | 12:28 p.m. June 13, 2008

If you want to save money, learn how to drive more efficiently with hypermiling. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that typically got 35-38 MPG. After learning hypermiling, I now usually get 45-48 MPG. Which means that I can squeeze well over 500 miles from one tank of gas. You don't need an economy car (or a hybrid) to do it, though. There are plenty of resources about it online.

Republican armageddon | 1:22 p.m. June 13, 2008

I love the republicans who place blame on the dems for trying to preserve the environment, it reflects the general level of greed you all seem to have.

Simple truth, we are going to run out of oil: what is more fun that driving an SUV? Riding my bike to work- What else? buying local food. More? investing in solar panels so and curbing my electricity by buying energy efficient lights, ovens, using architecture to enhance all these options- so much so that I get money from the energy company every month for giving back unused electricity.

How easy is this lifestyle? Pretty easy. And I save a load of money.

Quit crying, buy a hybrid, take shorter showers, invest in a wood chip fire place (I spent $253.76 to heat my house for the entire winter in upstate New York).

Oil equals laziness on all of our parts and all the environmentalists are trying to do is help you curb your usage to both save money and second save the environment which you refuse to beleive, and will continue to refuse to believe until the earth is burnt up.

But all you reps care about is you right now.

horse and buggy | 1:45 p.m. June 13, 2008

UDOT better put in a horse and buggy lane on the freeway because if gas hits $5 a gal that is all anyone will be able drive. Of course then farmers will follow the oil companies and rise the price of hay!

newcars | 1:51 p.m. June 13, 2008

Anybody ever heard of the term "chevrofeeties"?? It means, "WALK"! Use your feet or ride a bike, get some exercise, save money, be healthier, help lower the obesity rate in the U.S. Quit whining about opening up ANWR because its not going to happen. I don't care who says you can open that area up and not harm the enviornment, truth is you can't. Quit blaming one party or the other, quit blaming the President. They may have some blame but we put them there so how much more blame do we have? Work together and try to come up with ideas on alternate fuel. Better yet make your kids do it for a science project instead of making that boring old solar system, or the volcano. We've got the technology and if not, we have it within us to come up with it.

Re.: Rep. Armag. | 1:54 p.m. June 13, 2008

I'm Sorry, I'm so sorry, I repent of being a evil, burn the earth, kill the polar bear/reindeer/penguin/{animal of your choice}, drive my SUV, wear animal tested clothing republican ... you have shown me the way.

Dude, your bike is made with steel (Mining), rubber (Oil drilling), your solar panels did not grow on a tree, your local food most likley was shipped/trucked in, ummmm, yeah, larger world huh?

Not all republicans are so narrow minded as to just blame the democrats, that would be like blaming katrina on Pres. Bush.

Anonymous | 3:21 p.m. June 13, 2008

Yeah, vote democrat if you want to see prices go highter. These loosers are the guys that keep us from exploring, drilling, and refining our own oil.

Yes, if that's what you want, vote democrat!

Anonymous | 3:23 p.m. June 13, 2008

hey richard,

alternative oil resources are YEARS away. We need OIL now!

Drill here, drill now

Stephen Frandsen | 3:25 p.m. June 13, 2008

Lets call this what it is. This is all the Libs fault for REFUSING to let us drill and refine our own oil.
Now we will have 4 years of the racist Socialist Barack Hussein Obama

I will believe it when I see it | 6:06 p.m. June 13, 2008

I will start believing "champions of the environment" like Al Gore and Nancy Polosi (all dems) when they start walking their talk! Do they live like they say we should live? Carbon footprints my tired gas tank! What hypocrits they are!

Environmental Hypocrisy | 6:15 p.m. June 13, 2008

You people who think you are saving the planet with your hybrid cars should do some research. The batteries in your car contain nickel which takes huge amounts of energy to mine and refine-mostly in other countries. Then in 3-5 years you will have to replace them. Where do we dispose of them and how much energy will all this take? Bottom line-the gas mileage savings you get will not offset the extra energy it takes to produce them. Having said that, if you want a hybrid, go for it! This is America, a free market country. But don't think you are saving the planet more than I am with my Hemi-Chrysler that gets 25 hwy and 18 in town. I am poluting less in the long run that you are in your hybrid!

Just Me | 9:42 p.m. June 13, 2008

you all are so smart. yeehaw! Cant wait till it hits 5.00 a gallon and I can tell my kids "I remember gas was 99 cents a gallon."

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