Fuel crisis in UK as prices hit $6.70/gallon . . . is US next?

Think things are bad in the U.S. . . .


www.independent.co.uk
Long queues at forecourts as motorists try to beat fuel blockade
13 September 2005

The army has been put on stand-by to prevent supermarkets being closed
by blockades by fuel protesters, as retailers last night appealed for
motorists not to panic-buy.

Texaco, which runs 1,100 service stations said business was "brisk".
Stations in Birmingham said they had run out of unleaded fuel. Police
in Merseyside complained that motorists were calling 999 to find out
where they could buy petrol.

Lengthy queues were reported across the country. Ray Holloway director
]of the Petrol Retailers Association, said: "I really do appeal to
people to actually just buy fuel when they need it. If people really do
buy in the normal way, fuel will be available on the forecourts when
they need it."

Ministers said they are taking seriously the threat of refinery
blockades by the fuel protesters over the price of petrol hitting =A31 a
litre [about $6.73/gal]. Campaigners who are planning to disrupt
traffic with a go-slow on the M4 tomorrow yesterday said the port of
Dover could also be targeted.

Alan Johnson, the Trade and Industry Secretary, who is taking the lead
on the issue with Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, will today report
on contingency plans before Tony Blair leaves for the UN summit in New
York.

"We cannot have food and petrol being blockaded, and the public
understand that," a senior ministerial source said. "We are quite
serious about this. Unlike the last time we had the fuel protests, many
petrol stations have closed and the supermarkets are a much more
important factor. We won't let them close."

The army plans to use heavy vehicles to remove blockading lorries and
ministers will be told anti-terror laws could be used to stop the
country being held to ransom by the protesters.

Gordon Brown will today also repeat calls he made at the weekend
meeting of the OPEC oil-producing countries, for them to raise
production to stabilise the world market.

The Chancellor will tell the TUC: "It is because we understand the
problems faced by hauliers, farmers and motorists at a time of doubling
oil prices ... that the first action we must take is to tackle the
cause of the problem: ensuring concerted global action is taken to
bring down world oil prices and stabilise the market for the long term"

Friends of the Earth, however, urged Mr Brown to resist pressure to cut
prices at the pumps. "He should say that climate change is driving our
agenda," it said.

Mr Brown has signalled that he will continue to freeze fuel duty in the
pre-Budget report in November, but he is refusing to cut fuel duty to
offset price increases blamed on Hurricane Katrina.

Andrew Spence, a farmer and spokesman for the Fuel Lobby, which is
planning the protests, said he was forced to join a queue for fuel
yesterday. He blamed panic buying on the Government for reports that
the ministers were ready to introduce rationing as part of its
contingency plans.

The Fuel Lobby is calling on the public to "attend'"oil refineries from
6am tomorrow to begin their protests. "We are not calling for a
blockade but if oil companies decide they cannot send out lorries while
there is a public presence at their site, then that is a matter for
them," Mr Spence said.

.. . .

Alan Johnson, the Trade and Industry Secretary, who is taking the lead
on the issue with Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, will today report
on contingency plans before Tony Blair leaves for the UN summit in New
York.

"We cannot have food and petrol being blockaded, and the public
understand that," a senior ministerial source said. "We are quite
serious about this. Unlike the last time we had the fuel protests, many
petrol stations have closed and the supermarkets are a much more
important factor. We won't let them close."

The army plans to use heavy vehicles to remove blockading lorries and
ministers will be told anti-terror laws could be used to stop the
country being held to ransom by the protesters.

In article .com>, YourAdHere wrote:
> Think things are bad in the U.S. . . .


Again....

the difference in cost of gasoline between western europe and the USA is
TAX!

That's it. TAX. Their governments tax fuel considerably more, always
have, always will. The gasoline prices there will always be significantly
higher than prices in the USA unless the tax situation changes.

Brent P wrote:
> In article .com>, YourAdHere wrote:
> > Think things are bad in the U.S. . . .
>
>
> Again....
>
> the difference in cost of gasoline between western europe and the USA is
> TAX!
>
> That's it. TAX. Their governments tax fuel considerably more, always
> have, always will. The gasoline prices there will always be significantly
> higher than prices in the USA unless the tax situation changes.

That's what I heard too. A UK buddy of mine pointed out that 85% of
their gas price is tax. I've been to Holland and Germany a few times
over the past couple years and indeed, the gas prices are unreal.

I was talking with someone in the US about the high gas taxes recently
who pointed out that they don't have any refineries in the UK; that
their gasoline comes from here, while crude oil (the pure stuff;
hopefully the term is right) is imported straight in from the
producers. He was suggesting that the high taxes were to cover the
cost of refining and transporting the gasoline/diesel and so on. I
found that a bit hard to believe, however, but of course have no facts
either way to check out. Do you know if that's true? Are the taxes
meant to cover the costs of refining and transportation some how?
Seems ridiculous to me...

In article .com>, wrote:


> found that a bit hard to believe, however, but of course have no facts
> either way to check out. Do you know if that's true? Are the taxes
> meant to cover the costs of refining and transportation some how?
> Seems ridiculous to me...

gasoline is not something easily transported by ship. Even Hawaii has
refineries. Given the crude the UK pulls out of the north sea it would be
really mounmentally stupid not to have a refineries for gasoline.

Since the article mentioned 'refinery blockades' I assume they have
refineries . . .