preview

Gasoline Problem

Decent Essays

Gasoline Problem Gasoline prices have fluctuated widely during the last few years. According to the Department of Energy, the price of gasoline was $3 in the summer of 2006 and it decreased to $2 in 2007 (Taylor & Weerapana, 2007). Most of the oil is produced and refined by a consortium of countries called OPEC. They are mostly located in Africa, Middle East and South America. Though these countries try to limit price fluctuations, their production and distribution directly affects the price of oil. The price of gas depends to some extent on its origin. For example, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is cheaper than other kinds of oil because they are produced and refined in the US. So, the supply chain is shorter and this makes it cheaper than the oil produced by foreign countries (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). Another important factor that determines the price of gas is the worldwide demand. The emergence of developing countries like India and China have fueled the demand for oil (Graham & Graham, 2005). When the supply is unable to meet the demand, the price of oil spikes. Oil is traded around the world in US dollars. When the value of US dollar decreases with respect to other countries, then the OPEC countries earn less. To compensate for this lower profit, they will increase the price of oil and this will cause the prices to rise at the pump. The reverse happens when the value of US dollar increases with respect to other countries. The price of gas has varied

Get Access