On Sun, 1 Jan 2012 17:55:56 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard
wrote:

On Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:28:33 -0800, Larry Jaques wrote:

On Sun, 1 Jan 2012 00:32:45 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard
wrote:

On Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:07:37 -0800, Lew Hodgett wrote:

BTW, what's all this happy horse**** about we need to develop "energy
independence"?
---------------------------------
Would you prefer oil independance?

The point is that since we are a net exporter, we actually *have* oil
independence. All we have to do is keep the oil companies from shipping
our oil overseas.

Do you know why they ship our light crude overseas? Because the oil
companies, in their infinite wisdom, no longer build refineries here
which can process our heavier, more sour types of oil. We use the light
sweet and sell the rest. And the prices stay high because said oil
companies, who are rolling in double digit windfall profits, won't build
any more refineries of any type, bottlenecking the flow of gasoline.
That and the futures market and continual resale of oil on paper until
the profits are made by all participating companies.

No argument from me. Now what do we do about it? Or rather, what should
we do about it - actually getting it done may be impossible.

Yeah.


Since I doubt my ability to appeal to the consciences of the oil
executives, my answer is some kind of legal prohibition on the export of
strategic resources. I believe there is, or was, some such regulation on
some substances - just add oil and oil products to the list.

As much as I hate regulation, some is necessary when it can affect us
so deeply. Americans are making good profits on the oil they export.
Ditto all the trees (not processed lumber) they sell to Japan. To stop
that would hurt American companies. And how do we force the oil
companies to build proper refineries for our oil without hurting more
American companies? What amazes me is that small refineries aren't
popping up all over our not-so-light/sweet oil areas everywhere.

--
Win first, Fight later.

--martial principle of the Samurai