When Libs refer to the "gas companies" or "oil companies" what do they mean?

Question

Assuming they mean gasoline rather than natural gas, do they mean:

The retailer who probably owns just that one station, maybe 2-3?
The jobber who brings the gasoline from the wholesaler/terminal operator to the retailer?
The wholesaler/terminal operator?
The pipeline or barge operator?
The refiner?
The crude oil E+P company?
The oil services companies that lease drilling equipment and/or perform drilling services for the E+P company?

Do they realize that while some companies are much larger than their competitors, when you take the industry as a whole it is less vertically integrated than most mature industries?

Do they even know what vertically integrated means?

So..... the ability to name off a few E+P companies, that is enough to support in your mind these conspiracy theories? Wow, that's alarming.

Answer 1

By oil companies Libs are referring to the large companies such as Conoco, Amoco, Chevron, Phillips, Mobil, and Texaco.

"The three internal memos from Mobil, Chevron, and Texaco (available at http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/energy/fs/ show different ways the oil giants closed down refining capacity and drove independent refiners out of business. The confidential memos demonstrate a nationwide effort by American Petroleum Institute, the lobbying and research arm of the oil industry, to encourage the major refiners to close their refineries in the mid-1990s in order to raise the price at the pump."

The fact is there is no competitive market in this industry. The price per barrel is currently hovering around $60 which is less then last year, but we're still paying more then we were then. Why? Because American Petroleum Institute can. Their latest profit levels are at record highs.

And another reason perhaps Libs are so intrigued by these large oil companies is there history of backing the GOP, particularly GWB, giving his campaign 90% of there contributions. And oddly enough, during election years (00, 02, 04, 06) oil prices would mysteriously drop in October, actually rather dramatically in 2006, which was strange considering that was a period of time when prices were rising rather quickly. And each year, immediately following the election prices would rise again. And of course during non-confederal election years (01, 03, 05) the oil prices wouldn't budge.----Coincidental? Who knows--but the fact is, I think most people, not just liberals, want to pay a reasonable price for oil. And to discover that these companies are just charging more, because...well...they can, and the fact that no one is attempting to stop them is disheartening.

Answer 2

It isn't politics for most of us. There are some hard working people that just question how come the big companies are pulling record profits while gas stays up. If they are profiting so well why can't average joe/jane get a break? I for one would like to go to work, pick up the check and see a damn profit. Thank you.

Answer 3

What's alarming is your compulsion to generalize about complete strangers. What makes you think all liberal people see things in exactly the same light? Why do you think that a person who knows the names of a few oil companies is a conspiracy theorist?

You won't even begin to understand the views of people with whom you disagree until you get rid of your prejudicial beliefs and preconceptions. You aren't winning any friends, or changing any minds with this question.

Answer 4

They mean "big, bad oil" for ripping off the people. Granted gas is high, but with all the "additives" (that don't work) having to be included into production, lack of refineries, inability to drill, what can you expect? The situation is one the politicians have created by caving into and letting the enviro's put them into their pockets.

Answer 5

I mean my oil company stocks which are making record profits and paying huge dividends.

God Bless High Gas Prices!

MEMO for Pitchow!
We are not raping people at the gas pumps, it is consensual! And we also sell Lubricants when needed!

Answer 6

I can't tell you about all libs.

I know about Al Gore though. He means any oil company other than Occidental Oil because his daddy sat on the board and Al still has major stock holdings in the company. So if Occidental gets a contract awarded to refuel US Navy ships in Yemen (against the USN wishes) and one of them gets attacked, sailors die and the thip is nearly sunk then it is ok.

Big oil just means the companies that donate to them. Don't kid yourself though, it goes both ways.

Answer 7

And little ol me who sits behind my desk and makes sure that those drillers get what they need.

Oops, do they think I am raising prices and making huge amounts of money as well?

Answer 8

Do we care?

Last time I checked, I had precisely zero interest towards anything to do with oil or the oil industry.

Answer 9

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, United Arab Emirates
Addax Petroleum, Switzerland
Alon USA, United States
Amerada Hess Corporation, United States
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, United States
Arbusto Energy, United States
Atlantic Petroleum, Faroe Islands
BG Group, United Kingdom
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, India
BHP Billiton, Australia
BP, United Kingdom
Cairn Energy, India
Canadian Natural Resources, Canada
Charottar Gas Sahkari Mandli., India
Chevron Corporation, United States
Citgo, Venezuela
CNOOC Ltd., China
ConocoPhillips, United States
Crown Central Petroleum, United States
Cupet, Cuba
Devon Energy, United States
Ecopetrol, Colombia
Emarat, UAE
Emarat Misr, Egypt
Enbridge, Canada
EnCana, Canada
ENSCO International, United States
Elinoil Hellenic Petroleum Company S.A., Greece
Eni, Italy
Essar Oil, India
ExxonMobil, United States
Faroe Petroleum, Faroe Islands
Galp Energia, Portugal
Gujarat Oleo Chem Ltd., India
Geo Global Resources., India
Petronet LNG Limited, India
Gujarat Gas Co. Ltd., India
Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, India
Gulf Oil, United States
Grupa LOTOS, Poland
Hellenic Petroleum, Greece
HOECL, India
Hess Oil Company, USA
Husky Energy, Canada
Imperial Oil, Canada
INA (Industrija Nafte), Croatia
Indian Oil Corporation, India
Irving Oil, Canada
Jubiliant Empro, India
JHON ENERGY, India
Kerr-McGee, United States
Koch Industries, United States
Kuwait German Petroleum Company, Canada
The Louisiana Land & Exploration Company, United States
LUKoil, Russia
Marathon Oil Corporation, United States
Maxol Group, Republic of Ireland
Mol Group, Hungary
Naftna Industrija Srbije, Serbia
Neste Oil, Finland
Norsk Hydro, Norway
North Atlantic Petroleum, Canada
Northern Territory Oil Limited, Australia
NNPC,Nigeria
Occidental Petroleum
Oil & Gas Petroleum Corporation, United States
Oil India Limited, India
OMV, Austria
ONGC, India
PKN Orlen S.A., Poland
PSO, Pakistan
Petróleos de Venezuela, Venezuela
Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico
Petro-Canada, Canada
Petro Peru, Peru
Petrobras, Brazil
PetroChina, China
Petroconpak, Pakistan
PetroKazakhstan, Canada
PETRONAS, Malaysia
Petrotrin, Trinidad and Tobago
Pertamina, Indonesia
Piyush Petroleum Co. Ltd, India
Pogo Producing, United States
Prize Petroleum CO.LTD., India
Qatar Petroleum, Qatar
Reliance Industries Limited, India
Repsol YPF, Spain
Rompetrol Group N.V., Romania
Royal Dutch Shell, Netherlands, United Kingdom
Santos Limited, Australia
Sasol, South Africa
Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia (the largest in the world)
Shell Canada, Canada (subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell)
Shell Oil Company, United States (subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell)
Sinclair Oil, United States
Sinopec, China
Sonangol, Angola
Sonatrach, Algeria
SPC, Singapore
Statoil, Norway
Stuart Petroleum Limited, Australia
Sunoco, United States
Suncor Energy, Canada
Surgutneftegaz, Russia
Syncrude, Canada
Talisman Energy, Canada
Teikoku Oil, Japan
Todd Energy, New Zealand
Total, France
Tüpraş, Turkey
United Petroleum, Australia
Vaalco Energy Inc., United States
Van Doren Oil, United States
Woodside Petroleum, Australia
YPFB, Bolivia
YUKOS, Russia

Answer 10

I believe they are referring to the people responsible for raping us at the gas pumps while in turn giving their CEO's a multi-million dollar pension plan.