Refining Oil or Dollar$?

Have you seen what is happening at the financial end for the big refiners? Chevron reports a quarterly profit of $4bn which is around 50% increase. Combinedly, Exxon Mobile and ConocoPhillips have reported like $15Bn profit. And the best part for this is, these profits are because of the high gas prices going on around us. We are paying them in small bits & pieces, to get them the extraordinary profits. How can the companies' profit effects on customers be reduced?

From companies perspective - Oil prices have been rising abobe $70 per barrel. Yes, that is understandable. But, does this mean that the gas prices have to be increased? Why should the end customers take all the impact of this oil price increase? Can't the companies make some trade off on their profits which goes in billions? The basic business principle is 'Customers come first'. If Chevron can take an increase of 50% in its profit which has come to $4Bn, can't it and other companies maintain their profits and take the impact of oil price increases instead of the customers?

From Customers perspective - Are we going to be always ready to take the Oil price changes as gas price changes? Can the Hybrids make some difference on our monthly gas budgets? More of car pools? Walking & Biking? How about some public transports? Is the government making some efforts to help us? Is there is a way to stop buying gas? Can all the customers make a combined effort to boycott gas buying from the biggies like Exxon, Chevy, Shell etc? Can people slowly drift towards the smaller gas companies for buying gas? Are those gas products reliable enough for our auto engines' long life? So many questions from customers side have to be answered, but customers can sure make a difference with other alternatives.

Lets see how this issue is going to be eventually resolved!