Originally posted by Majisto: It's unforunate when the supply is not allowed to keep up with demand. The refinery business is one of our vital links and it has barely expanded if at all since the 70's. There isn't a shortage of oil and there never was in the first place. There IS a shortage of refineries and that problem isn't being taken care of.
Given the unprecedented & record breaking profits of the oil companies in the last few years, its hard to imagine why any oil company would WANT to build new refineries.
Accumulaing enormous profits without having to invest in infrastructure is a dream come true for any company.
The question is why isn't someone else coming in to steal a piece of the pie? That is what should be happening in this circumstance.
If government is preventing a new player from coming into the game, they should then require new refineries to be built.
