Fighting fuel price rises

[Hoddy]

I've just received a chain letter from a French friend about a method of attempting to stop the current fuel price rises. It suggests that because the oil companies know that if we don't buy today we may have to buy tomorrow, we should target a boycott on three of them. It names the three. Then the argument goes all of the companies would be under pressure to reduce their prices. Has anyone else received this letter ? Could it work do you think ?

Hoddy

[Keith CHANNING]

Yes and no.

Yes I have received it

No, it won't work. Mainly because you would need to achieve a massive level of support to have any impact.

[Baz]

This idea has been around the UK for at least a couple of years. But as far as I know it has not worked as you need a huge percentage of drivers to support the idea.

Baz

[Pierre ZFP]

Even if you had every driver boycotting the stations it would still have zero impact.  Oil companies don't make money out of selling fuel, it's nasty dangerous stuff and only constitues around 10% of a barrel of crude. What effect could it possibly have on world oil prices? Nothing!

[mickleover]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Even if you had every driver boycotting the stations it would still have zero impact.  Oil companies don't make money out of selling fuel, it's nasty dangerous stuff and only constitues around 10% of a barrel of crude. What effect could it possibly have on world oil prices? Nothing![/quote]

So right

           Petrol only one of many things that the oil refining gives,

           A long time ago,as a contractor at a refinery i think the (cracker) made 26 things at different temps.

[AnOther]

An informative read for a idle moment [geek]

and another

 

[mickleover]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

An informative read for a idle moment [geek]

and another

 

[/quote]

Thanking you for that,

                                A (cracker) that is.

[powerdesal]

The first link is, I think, somewhat theoretical. The US refinery system is heavily biased to gasoline product, as indicated in the seond link. European and other areas of the World are more biased to diesel production at the expense of gasoline. As I mentioned somewhere else, this is due to the difference between Catalytic cracking (USA) and Hydro-cracking (elsewhere).

Interesting non the less, are you still bored on the rig ErnieY or are back in the real world?

[AnOther]

The latter Steve but excellent question; is living in France regarded as "back in the real world" [blink]

Mind you, with the seemingly relentless rain I think I might be better off offshore wishing I was somewhere else [:-))]

 

[Doodle]

Not sure if this is a local thing but the supermarket Leclerc at Ferte Mace reduces the prices of petrol and diesel for the day on the first saturday of every month - it's usually around 5 centimes a litre cheaper but we have two cars one petrol, one diesel and fill a couple of cans - every little helps as they say !!

Chris

[Pierre ZFP]

Just  to note that tha articles are reffering to US gallons per barrel (42 US gallons = just under 35 proper gallons) and this is different again (of course) between oil barrels and 'proper' barrels used for beer, whisky etc which contain 36 UK gallons.

Oh dear, must go for a lie down.

[Iceni]

The only way to beat fuel price increases is to stop buying. That would create an oversupply and the price would come down. I'm sure that Elf or whoever is terrified of losing my 40 ltrs of diesel per month-ish so my idea is certain to work.

John 

[Will]

There are not that many fuel producers. Even if you stop buying from the big names, they will still get your custom, because the supermarkets and independents buy from whichever of the big names gives them the best deal. And, in contrast to what the English version of the chain e-mail usually says, the big names are not all the same company.

You could stop driving, but the public transport systems use fuel supplied by the oil majors (even the power stations will, except for the few coal fired ones and the nuclear plants, which means you could use an electrically-powered train in France to get back at the oil companies).

[andyh4]

The number of raffineries is limited and the cost of transportation not negligable, so in all probability your local Elf station gets its fuel from a raffinery not operated or owned by Elf.  Nevertheless if you want the price of oil to drop stop using it - and persuade a couple of billion Chinese and Indians to follow suit.  Not that they are specifically to blame, we all share in the guilt.

[bixy]

We need to face the fact that oil is going to get scarcer and more expensive and eventually it's sale will be restricted to essential users, whoever they are. Driving in either France or the UK will then be wonderful as you speed along empty roads, if you are an essential user of course. The rest of us, restricted to horses and bicycles, will be left regretting the insane transport policies of the past. Even as I write this SNCF are closing rural lines, due to lack of investment in the infrastructure [ie. the track and bridges are falling apart]. And this despite SNCF supposedly making a billion euros "profit".

Patrick