Analysts: 2012 Will be The Most Expensive Year Ever for Gas.

Analysts: 2012 Will be The Most Expensive Year Ever for Gas.(USAToday).Due to the growing cost of crude oil and multiple refinery mishaps, 2012 is on track to be the costliest year ever for gasoline.
“Nationally, gasoline averages $3.70 a gallon — up 30 cents since mid-July and is now higher than year-ago levels in 39 states. Prices are likely to continue climbing through August, with little relief until after Labor Day,” USA Today reports.
Gas jumped 9 percent this month, pushing the national average to $3.67 a gallon, thereby beating 2011’s $3.51 a gallon record. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up. In fact, even after demand dies down with the end of summer, 2012 will still most likely be the most expensive year on record, according to Brian Milne of energy tracker Telvent DTN.
“The run-up comes at a time when prices typically have peaked for the year, and just weeks after decreasing demand and slowing worldwide economic growth pushed prices well off 2012 highs. The trend had prompted some industry experts to forecast $3 a gallon gasoline by autumn. Now, Milne expects a top at about $3.90 before dropping in September [emphasis added],” USA Today reports.
Of course, drivers in the Midwest are already paying that much and the cost in California has jumped considerably after a fire broke out at a Northern California Chevron refinery last week.
“The $4 threshold is when you see sticker shock and marked changes in consumer behavior and spending patterns,” says Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West, who warns rising gas prices will stymie consumer spending.Hmmmm......Not counting the influence the drought will have on the Ethanol cost!Read the full story here.

Related: Mass Exodus of US Oil Refineries - "The Price of Gas will skyrocket" in Obama's second term if reelected.

All refineries perform three basic steps: separation, conversion, and treatment. Pretty simple. Several reasons include technical and economic factors as to why we ship it overseas to be processed.
1. The crude petroleum is sold to the highest bidder, NOT the nearest bidder
2. There are different kinds of crude oil, such as sweet/light and dark/heavy. They have different applications and uses.
3. Different kinds of refining processes are needed to make different products from the crude oil. Petroleum is processed to make lots of products other than gasoline, like plastics and asphalt.
4. Politics, unions and the "environmentalists" How many of you are aware Sunoco, Conoco Phillips and The HESS Corp are all closing US oil refineries? Not many, as the media refuses to give this HUGE story coverage. My guess is that if Americans understood the complete truth to how we are being sold out, and enslaved there just might be the much needed revolution to turn this country around. Last September, both Sunoco and Conoco Phillips announced plant closing, effecting thousands of workers. Sunoco announced they are completely getting out of the oil industry. Closing up shop. They are done with the US oil industry. Sunoco is closing it's 2 oil refineries in July 2012 in Philadelphia and Marcus Hook, Pa. Those 2 facilities alone process over 500,000 barrels a day. Also announced last year, ConocoPhillips announced 2 plant closing for sure in Trainer, PA and Bayway, NJ., the other 3 plants are undecided as of today.
Conoco also announced they were closing their Alaskan refining facility: Just a week ago, the US 3rd largest oil refinery owned and operated by The HESS Corp just announced it's permanent closure. Costing over 2,000 jobs, and effecting 950 contractors.
Refineries on the East Coast of the US supply 40% of the gasoline sales and 60% of the diesel and other fuel oils. Of that, HALF that comes from the Sunoco and Conoco Phillips plant closures. When Conoco Phillips announced that it was closing the Trainer refinery, Willie Chiang, then ConocoPhillips' Senior Vice President of Refining, Marketing, Transportation and Commercial, noted that their decision to sell, like Sunoco's, was based on unfavorable economics caused by a competitive and difficult market environment characterized by "...product imports, weakness in motor fuel demand, and costly regulatory requirements." They are ALL closing up shop due to government regulations, union demands and excessive operating costs brought on by the Government regulations. Then you have the unions, led by Barry's buddy Leo Gerard saying they will close ALL US oil refineries starting from the east coast to west coast today.