Jump to content

The Price of Beer & Petrol & Mrs Miggins Pies


DaveH

Recommended Posts

a combined UK and Dutch company,

Does that mean that is a British company that buys oil in bulk at the Rotterdam spot price oil market value?

If so it means that they merely buy and sell fuel, unlike the big oil companies that look for it, drill it, transport it, refine it and then market it.

Also if so, it means that Harvest Energy would be in a similar position with regards to selling fuel that British Gas are when they sell electricity. They only sell the electricity, they do not generate it or supply it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does that mean that is a British company that buys oil in bulk at the Rotterdam spot price oil market value?

If so it means that they merely buy and sell fuel, unlike the big oil companies that look for it, drill it, transport it, refine it and then market it.

Also if so, it means that Harvest Energy would be in a similar position with regards to selling fuel that British Gas are when they sell electricity. They only sell the electricity, they do not generate it or supply it.

Thats how a lot of companies seem to work.

Harvest Energy say they blend the petrol, so must have some facilities, somewhere

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats how a lot of companies seem to work.

Harvest Energy say they blend the petrol, so must have some facilities, somewhere

But that's NOT working is it, it's just handling money and keeping some for yourself.

It's not producing anything of any value.

It's like bankers, stock brokers and politicians saying that they work when quite clearly they don't, -they're just in a "money for nowt" scam.

Blending petrol is not the same as refining oil.

By blending they could mean that they get their petrol (ie buy it) from several different sources and then to ensure consistency mix it all together (ie blend it) before distributing it.

This is how "pool petrol" worked in the 1940's when, for obvious reasons, petrol was rationed, in short supply and availability was uncertain. Applying this to Harvest Enrgy, their availability is uncertain over time because, to make the biggest profit, they will have to buy from the cheapest supplier or those with the best offer or daily spot price (back to the Rotterdam market then)

So blending petrol is the sort of job any fool could do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But that's NOT working is it, it's just handling money and keeping some for yourself.

It's not producing anything of any value.

It's like bankers, stock brokers and politicians saying that they work when quite clearly they don't, -they're just in a "money for nowt" scam.

Blending petrol is not the same as refining oil.

By blending they could mean that they get their petrol (ie buy it) from several different sources and then to ensure consistency mix it all together (ie blend it) before distributing it.

This is how "pool petrol" worked in the 1940's when, for obvious reasons, petrol was rationed, in short supply and availability was uncertain. Applying this to Harvest Enrgy, their availability is uncertain over time because, to make the biggest profit, they will have to buy from the cheapest supplier or those with the best offer or daily spot price (back to the Rotterdam market then)

So blending petrol is the sort of job any fool could do.

Thats that sorted then, I take it you will not be buying petrol from them, you will use a "real" company who has drilled and refined their own petrol

Me I just use the cheapest,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats that sorted then, I take it you will not be buying petrol from them, you will use a "real" company who has drilled and refined their own petrol

Me I just use the cheapest,

No, I'll be buying it.

It is still the cheapest petrol on the Arbourthorne, and I have shopped at Pearl Motors for some time now, - it's the same staff and they've always been OK with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought you might like a comparison from the Antipodes. In Tasmania supermarket fuel costs just under $1.30 per litre (74p) Independent retailers $1.35 a litre (77.5p). In Sydney last week you could buy petrol at $1.09 a litre (62.5p). But here's a catch, I do 600km a week just travelling to and from work which costs me $65 a week (£37) If I could get a job closer to home I definitely would, I hate driving, I spend over 7 hours a week behind the wheel.

Personally, I will be glad when the oil reserves are depleted, I think the world will be an infinitely better place. The internal combustion engine has only been around for 120-odd years in the thousands of years of man's occupation of the earth. I believe the remaining oil should be reserved for essential use only, trucks, emergency vehicles, farm machinery etc. An immediate ban on all motor sports and all unessential air travel. All private motoring electric. That will slow down the pace of life! Alternative fuel technology has been hampered by the obscene profits made from the sale of oil and the price increases spoken about in this topic are a symptom of an industry in its death throes. Good riddance, I hope they have put their oil billions to good use, although if Dubai is an example then I pity them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

although if Dubai is an example then I pity them.

Old Chinese preverb say...

"Those who build their mighty pedestals on desert sand are certain to sink or fall"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought you might like a comparison from the Antipodes. In Tasmania supermarket fuel costs just under $1.30 per litre (74p) Independent retailers $1.35 a litre (77.5p). In Sydney last week you could buy petrol at $1.09 a litre (62.5p).

So why is it so cheap out there? <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

. . . . and in the US where it's cheaper still?

Yes buy America has the world wide economic power to be able to keep its fuel cheap, and it has its own resources.

Australia is poor and "out in the wilds" by comparison.

So why so cheap in Australia?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes buy America has the world wide economic power to be able to keep its fuel cheap, and it has its own resources.

Australia is poor and "out in the wilds" by comparison.

So why so cheap in Australia?

Could it be taxes ??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could it be taxes ??

Could be.

Taxes across the EU zone must be fairly consistent as petrol in Europe, after conversion between £ sterling and Euro, is fairly consistent.

As the Australian proces of 77p is roughly 67% of our current price of 116p this would imply that we pay a third tax (33%) on fuel and Australia pay nothing in tax on it.

However there is the possibility that Australian fuel is being "subsidised" by money from elsewhere, or even abroad.

..and as Australia is part of the British Commonwealth there are no prizes for guessing who would be subsidising them!! :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes buy America has the world wide economic power to be able to keep its fuel cheap, and it has its own resources.

Australia is poor and "out in the wilds" by comparison.

So why so cheap in Australia?

Because the government doesn't slap as much tax on it as they do here.

The difference between America's price and Australia's is basically the amount of tax added.

Oil prices are similar in most countries. It's just the tax which makes the big difference to what the local consumers pay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because the government doesn't slap as much tax on it as they do here.

The difference between America's price and Australia's is basically the amount of tax added.

Oil prices are similar in most countries. It's just the tax which makes the big difference to what the local consumers pay.

So if Australia doesn't slap a heavy tax duty on fuel (a major source of Government income in most countries, our Government slaps more on at every budget) they must have a very heavy tax on some other commodity, service or personal taxation to raise revenue to keep the country at its present high standard of living (similar to Britain). Without that income Australia would be like a poor third world country.

After Australias recent elections I suspect that their economy is about to take a turn for the worse :o .....

1)

A no win election and a minority Government

We have had one of those in Britain since our May election

So far things have only got worse under the coalition Conservative- Liberal Democrate Government (near called it a ConDem(ed) Government! lol

2)

A female Prime Minister

We had one of those in Britain throughout the 1980's

Don't remember her doing us many favours either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I'm no economist and don't know enough about the taxation system to make any comparisons. Australia owes its wealth to the mining and exporting of it's vast natural resources. BHP Biliiton, based in Australia, is the biggest mining company in the world. Rio Tinto and Woodside Petroleum are giants on the world scale and there are scores of mining companies in every state, including Tasmania. Australia is the worlds largest exporter of coal, 3rd largest of Iron Ore, 3rd largsest of Nickel, 3rd largest of diamonds, 3rd largest of Uranium (with possibly the worlds largest reserves), and 4th largest of gold. It is the 28th largest exporter of petroleum and has vast natural gas fields off the coast of Western Australia. On a lesser scale, silver, bauxite, copper, zinc and opals. It also exports mountains of woodchips to Japan and live cattle and sheep to the middle east. (Not a typical description of a poor third world country?) Interestingly, the last elected PM Kevin Rudd, the Spock-like golden boy of Australian politics announced a super tax on mining company profits. He was gone in the blink of an eye and we had the first (unelected) female Prime Minister.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I'm no economist and don't know enough about the taxation system to make any comparisons. Australia owes its wealth to the mining and exporting of it's vast natural resources. BHP Biliiton, based in Australia, is the biggest mining company in the world. Rio Tinto and Woodside Petroleum are giants on the world scale and there are scores of mining companies in every state, including Tasmania. Australia is the worlds largest exporter of coal, 3rd largest of Iron Ore, 3rd largsest of Nickel, 3rd largest of diamonds, 3rd largest of Uranium (with possibly the worlds largest reserves), and 4th largest of gold. It is the 28th largest exporter of petroleum and has vast natural gas fields off the coast of Western Australia. On a lesser scale, silver, bauxite, copper, zinc and opals. It also exports mountains of woodchips to Japan and live cattle and sheep to the middle east. (Not a typical description of a poor third world country?) Interestingly, the last elected PM Kevin Rudd, the Spock-like golden boy of Australian politics announced a super tax on mining company profits. He was gone in the blink of an eye and we had the first (unelected) female Prime Minister.

Unfortunately having good, powerful companies that earn big profits doesn't always help bolster the National wealth. As witnessed recently in Britain big profits in our highly profitable Banking and finance sectors don't help the country out financially at all, - the profits just fill the pockets of extremely greedy bankers (Oh, I must have my annual 6 figure sum bonus, even if I have done nothing all year and lost the bank a fortune to add to my already over genourous 5 figure salary and almost free money for nothing pension scheme)

In fact quite the reverse here in Britain, - the public purse has been used to the extent of Billions of pounds to bail the Banks out of trouble when they got too greedy and invested in things which looked too good to be true, - and not suprisingly turned out to be.

A supertax (it used to 95% in Britain) in Company profits seems a good idea to me.

If Australia manage to impose it I will have to emigrate out there. lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...