An obvious question it seems no one has asked:

[DCKit]

If the oil companies aren't responsible for the high price of oil - making them just as much victims of the tight market, speculators, etc... as the end consumer - then how do they keep making record profits? I just don't know who to believe anymore.

I can't remember the last time I received a fourteen figure check after filling my gas tank. How do they manage to squeeze out any profit at these prices, let alone record quarterly profits in the history of American business.

[DebJ]

1. I'd like to know how much tax benefits contributed to the profits.

[Pierre.Suave]

2. I have been asking that same question

for years.

No one is listening.

[BadgerKid]

3. Maybe they're the speculators.

As in collusion to raise bid prices.

[vixengrl]

4. "Golden parachutes"--it would make sense that the execs

have a lot of shares in the businesses they run, right? And their version of speculating would be sheer inside ball--like a ref with a gambling problem. And they have lobbyists and donate to candidates. Sure. And when McCain says he likes the offshore drilling, suddenly he's got some oilbucks--leading us to better understand our domestic and foreign policies.

And when Bush lifted the ban on off-shore drilling, the price of gas went down--notice? There was no material benefit--only "psychological". So why the drop? One can only..."speculate."