Motor Oil Cartel ? Price is a Ripoff.

Prices already did fall. It is a global market and global consumption has been reduced quite a bit long before November. Even in the US driving was down around 5% last spring.

That doesn't make any sense at all. If people have stopped buying how in the heck can somebody "move in and make more money". Refineries are cutting production because their pipelines are backing up because it isn't selling at the other end. I suppose if they drop the price low enough they will get people to drive more. But they will need to drop it pretty low, because people are just not inclined to spend anymore money than they have to right now as long as they think we may be headed for a giant depression. They may need that money in a couple of months when they are unemployed.

-jim

Hey, let me throw another thought into this pot. We keep talking about petroleum oil. Why not look at the idea of someone developing and marketing a highly durable vegetible or plant based lubricant for crankcases and transmissions?

Forget about trying to compete with the oil cartels with their own product. Lets creat a whole different product for use at the same purpose.

That's much, much harder than making a good plant-based fuel. The problem with most plant greases is that they aren't just paraffins, but chains with fatty acids attached. When they break down, they produce some really nasty byproducts. To strip that stuff apart and turn it into a paraffin base oil is pretty difficult, even if you're starting with jojoba oil.

Lubricating oils and plastics are really best made with petroleum, and part of the need to conserve petroleum is so that we'll have enough left for making lubricants and plastics. You can use damn near anything as a fuel, but a precision bearing lube is not so forgiving.

--scott