exploitation

[j.sabourn]

I m sure all of us may wonder all the time on who is exploiting who as regards oil. Today the price of a barrel is down to 86 dollars, without any appreciable drop in the price at the bowser. In the past the excuse for the high price has been the high exchange rate and the going rate per barrel. These arguments do not at present exist in Australia. The oil companys are obviously making a killing on this, and unless the dunderheads are even thicker than we imagine in Canberra must be aware of this fact, some government I must say. India I believe are up in arms about it and quite see why. I would also like someone who does a study on such, the government has all sorts of useless think departments I suppose, but I personally would like to know how dependant the West is on Arab oil. With the billions invested in offshore and other supplies undertaken by various countrys surely we are not dependant on arab oil, who only have to drill a hole in the sand to get production. If we are not dependant on Arab oil, why buy it. This I know would shut these countrys down as regards their wealth, so maybe the rebels shouting freedom would not be so keen on taking power. I brought this up years ago and was told by a so called egghead that the heavy oil was only obtainable from the Middle East, I am beginning to think that this was a put off. I know that the heavy oil more products can be be got from, such as right down to the lighter oils such as the kerosenes etc. but think at present this argument is only a con. If our present government was at all perturbed about its people being taken for a ride, it would do something about it. We at present have a labour government in, labour used to believe in Nationalization maybe a threat to do so might bring some sense into the equation. Cheers John Sabourn

[Lou Barron]

Yes i do agree that these oil companys are having the goverments on over the price of oil .Having watched the finance news the NZ dollar is strong and the price of oil is down .So what is going on

[happy daze john in oz]

I think it varies in parts of the country. Here in Melbourne the price today is at $1.31 and with a shopper docket that becomes $1.27.
It has been at that level for almost three weeks now as the price of oil has gone from $108 down to $84 today, Singapore prices on which our price is based is about $8 more. Lou your price structure is based on engine type and average distance traveled I was informed when I asked about it last year. I do not anticipate the price to change much over the next week or so as the dollar is now at about parity and expected to remain that way for the next five years or so. But as I understand it you do not have a discount cycle in WA where as here in Victoria it is a big thing. But Queensland is cheaper than here, yet in Darwin it is dearer as they get theirs direct from Singapore.
Do what the Irish did, they bought a load of sand and said they would make their own.