Biden calls on oil refiners to produce more, cut profit margins
In a letter to company heads, Biden says ‘historically high refinery profit margins’ are hurting US consumers.


United States President Joe Biden has called on oil refiners to produce more petrol and diesel, saying their high profit margins are hurting consumers.

Biden made the appeal in a letter delivered on Wednesday to major refining companies, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, and British Petroleum. While he said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is “principally responsible” for the financial burden US residents are facing, “historically high refinery profit margins are worsening that pain”.


“The crunch that families are facing deserves immediate action,” Biden wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press news agency and US media. “Your companies need to work with my Administration to bring forward concrete, near-term solutions that address the crisis.”

Petrol prices in the US currently average about $5 a gallon ($1.32 per litre), the highest-ever recorded price, an economic burden for many Americans and a political threat for the president’s fellow Democrats going into the midterm elections.


Broader inflation began to rise last year as the US economy recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, but it accelerated in recent months as energy and food prices climbed after the Russian invasion began on February 24 and disrupted global commodity markets. The government reported on Friday that consumer prices had jumped 8.6 percent from a year ago, the highest increase in more than 40 years.

In the letter, Biden called the issue a “global challenge and global concern”, but described an “unprecedented disconnect” between refining costs and the price consumers pay at the pump.


“Since the beginning of the year, refiners’ margins for refining gasoline and diesel have tripled, and are currently at their highest levels ever recorded,” he said.

Economists have questioned how much corporate greed is contributing to the high prices, which may be attributed to constraints in scaling up capacity to meet current needs following reductions during the pandemic. That imbalance has been further compounded by major consumers, notably the European Union, pivoting away from Russian fossil fuels and increasing demand elsewhere. It remains unclear how much capacity can realistically be added in the short term.


In the letter, Biden said the administration is ready to “use all reasonable and appropriate Federal Government tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term, and to ensure that every region of this country is appropriately supplied.”

He noted the administration has already released oil from the US strategic reserve and increased ethanol blending standards, though neither action put a lasting downward pressure on prices.


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He also has directed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to convene an emergency meeting and consult with the National Petroleum Council, a federal advisory group that is drawn from the energy sector.

Biden asked refiners to explain to Granholm any drop in refining capacity since 2020, when the pandemic began. He also wants the companies to provide “any concrete ideas that would address the immediate inventory, price, and refining capacity issues in the coming months – including transportation measures to get refined product to market”.




https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/6/15/biden-calls-on-oil-refiners-to-produce-more-cut-profit-margins?sf166166403=1

The sanctioner is suffering from the pain of the sanction it imposed on the sanctionee

Biodun556:
The sanctioner is suffering from the pain of the sanction it imposed on the sanctionee

.org
Imagine Biden as the president of Nigeria. Very clueless mfk. Lol

It's dis Biden is clueless. oil cabal in US are very happy, because they are making heavy profits. they are even ready to pay Ukraine so that the war can continue and make more profit as the price of oil keeps souring.

Too little too late. It is unbelievable a president can just sit there for months when gas prices are going up
exponentially.

Well, oil producers have making triple the prices they made the year before. Gouging galore and I do not blame them. It'is likely even going to get higher as the weather warms up and energy demands increases.

It's a good time to be working in the oil industry everywhere in the world.

Even diesel in Nigeria is rising to 1500 naira per litre. 3rd world countries as usual would feel the pain most. I hope the op lives in Russia.

Prices of everything would go up from GSM data cost to food produced in factories.

Shascky33:
.org
Imagine Biden as the president of Nigeria. Very clueless mfk. Lol

Biodun556:
The sanctioner is suffering from the pain of the sanction it imposed on the sanctionee

What do you have to say about Iran that supports Russia and isn't a sanctioned.

panafrican:
Too little too late. It is unbelievable a president can just see there for months when gas prices are going up
exponentially.

Mr Nairaland's armchair experts. Is he the president of UK, Canada, Nigeria, Norway, Turkey e t.c.

Price of a barrel of oil did not triple, but profit of oil companies tripped.

We will all chop the breakfast whether you are in Timbuktu, London, or Owerri.

saxywale1:



What do you have to say about Iran that supports Russia and isn't a sanctioned.


Mr Nairaland's armchair experts. Is he the president of UK, Canada, Nigeria, Norway, Turkey e t.c.

Price of a barrel of oil did not triple, but profit of oil companies tripped.

We will all chop the breakfast whether you are in Timbuktu, London, or Owerri.

Jus this morning on Nairaland front page.

saxywale1:



What do you have to say about Iran that supports Russia and isn't a sanctioned.


Mr Nairaland's armchair experts. Is he the president of UK, Canada, Nigeria, Norway, Turkey e t.c.

Price of a barrel of oil did not triple, but profit of oil companies tripped.

We will all chop the breakfast whether you are in Timbuktu, London, or Owerri.

Iran has been under US sanctions since 2012 and guess what? The white house tried reaching out to MBS but he refused to pick. Lol. Biden travelling to pariah saudi in few weeks time to lick his own vomit.

Too weak as president. He can't stand up to big corporates.

Shascky33:

Iran has been under US sanctions since 2012 and guess what? The white house tried reaching out to MBS but he refused to pick. Lol. Biden travelling to pariah saudi in few weeks time to lick his own vomit.

1. US sanctions are controlled Congress and not the President.

2 Atleast he is working hard to bring down the cost of petrol in America despite it already being the lowest in the league of developed nations. What has the president or PM of other countries done to reduce the runaway cost of petrol e.g. Nigeria, UK, and many other countries.

panafrican:
Too weak as president. He can't stand up to big corporates.

1. The US is a capitalist country (free economy).

2. He is not a dictator like we see in shithole country (excuse my Trump language)

3. They also have a Congress for checks and balances.

There are 50 Republicans, 48 democrats and 2 independents, and they all unanimously voted to enact sanctions.

gambojimeta:

1. US sanctions are controlled Congress and not the President.

2 Atleast he is working hard to bring down the cost of petrol in America despite it already being the lowest in the league of developed nations. What has the president or PM of other countries done to reduce the runaway cost of petrol e.g. Nigeria, UK, and many other countries.

Not until the sanctions on the kremlin are lifted or a nuclear deal is reached with iran, opec+ wont ramp up daily oil production to please the US and Sleepy Joe cant do a thing. Keep watching as it unfolds.