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A return to higher gas prices

Posted at 10:54 AM on January 6, 2010 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: Energy

Quietly, the price of gas is heading toward painful levels, and the law of supply and demand is being tested.

In our last big oil price run-up, we heard the problem was the rapidly expanding economies of China and India are requiring more oil. The U.S. Energy Information Bureau notes demand for gasoline is actually dropping in the U.S., and yet the price is going up.

The price jumped almost 10 cents a gallon -- to $2.75 at the big stores -- on Tuesday, according to TwinCitiesGasPrices.com., about $1 a gallon higher than a year ago. Unlike the previous run-up, the Twin Cities exceeds the national average price of gasoline.

Today the government announced the amount of gasoline put into storage was triple what most analysts had forecast. It's too cold for many people to drive, some analysts said.

"Between the API and the EIA numbers, this is not adding up to much of an argument for crude above $82 a barrel," said Addison Armstrong at Tradition Energy in Connecticut.

Comments (3)

Tell me again why speculators are allowed to play the oil market?

Posted by Tyler | January 6, 2010 11:43 AM

If your vehicle can use it, E85 is selling for $2.11 a gallon at the Holiday at Foley & Highway 10 in Coon Rapids.

Posted by Bob Moffitt | January 6, 2010 1:04 PM

"It's too cold for many people to drive"? Personally, I habitually take the bus, but am driving this week because it's, well, too cold. Does this comment mean people from the Midwest on east are staying home in droves this week?

Posted by Bea | January 6, 2010 2:49 PM