Refineries are making more money than ever despite the influx of oil supply, lower per barrel cost and slightly above average demand (although demand for oil is

Refineries are making more money than ever despite the influx of oil supply, lower per barrel cost and slightly above average demand (although demand for oil is expected to be going down worldwide). [1] California's 4 oil refiners control 78% of the state's gasoline-making capacity. When a refinery goes down for coincidental 'upgrades' or 'repairs', the cost to consumers skyrocket, keeping gas prices high while oil prices maybe rock bottom. California refineries reaped an average of 49.3 cents on a gallon of gasoline from 1999 to 2014, according to the California Energy Commission. But this year, the average was around 88.8 cents (caused by refinery troubles) creating record breaking profits. The U.S. hasn’t built a major new refinery since 1977 and many of the refineries do not run at full capacity. Why would they when that would just cut into their profits? Keep the supply down and keep the prices high and you will have record breaking profits every year. Line the pockets of politicians and you'll be in business for a very long time. ENRON 2.0 Graph of pump prices across the nation: http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BT-AD814A_REFIN_9U_20150821162712.jpg http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BT-AD814A_REFIN_9U... [1] http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas-profits-20150722-story.html http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas-profits-20150722-s...