Optimax up to £1 per ltr again

100.9 per ltr today

I wonder why......

IMO, this is the oil industry basically predicting a US invasion of Iran within the next 12 months.

Isn't it strange how every country that has threatened (or in Iraq's case, succeeded - albeit briefly) to move their oil industry from the US Dollar market into the Euro market also seems to be guilty of illegal nuclear programs?

What a remarkable coincidence!

In fact, Iran are probably even more at risk than Iraq ever was.... Iraq started selling oil in Euros just to the european market in 2000 (the US had fixed that and moved the sales back into US dollars by 2003).... Iran, however, have set up a whole new competing market for selling oil, ONLY in Euros. I believe the market was only up and running about a month ago, so we're bound to see some impact on oil prices (and, more importantly, on US foreign policy! ie. I wouldn't be surprised if Iran was to be "discovered" running an "illegal" nuclear program sometime very soon).

IMO, this is the oil industry basically predicting a US invasion of Iran within the next 12 months.

 

Isn't it strange how every country that has threatened (or in Iraq's case, succeeded - albeit briefly) to move their oil industry from the US Dollar market into the Euro market also seems to be guilty of illegal nuclear programs?

 

What a remarkable coincidence!

 

In fact, Iran are probably even more at risk than Iraq ever was.... Iraq started selling oil in Euros just to the european market in 2000 (the US had fixed that and moved the sales back into US dollars by 2003).... Iran, however, have set up a whole new competing market for selling oil, ONLY in Euros. I believe the market was only up and running about a month ago, so we're bound to see some impact on oil prices (and, more importantly, on US foreign policy! ie. I wouldn't be surprised if Iran was to be "discovered" running an "illegal" nuclear program sometime very soon).

Wouldn't suprise me at all either!

I've been hassling Shell about this. Here is their reply:

As a National Petroleum Retailer we will ensure all sites comply with advertising standards, as Optimax is exclusive to Shell we currently do not have to advertise the cost on the pole sign, we do however ensure that the price is advertised at the pump. We advertise Premium Unleaded (95 RON) and Diesel on our pole signs, as our competitors stock these grades of product.

The nozzle itself displays the type of fuel as well as the holster, which it sits in. The display on the pump always shows the grade selected and the price per litre. We ensure that all pumps are clearly marked for the customer.

On a factual basis, since the launch in 2001, on average Optimax has been 5-6 ppl more expensive than standard Shell unleaded.

Shell Optimax is about giving our customers a real choice when they fill up - a choice that our customers tell us they want, and which they demonstrate they want by purchasing Shell Optimax in ever increasing numbers. Shell Optimax is a unique fuel designed for those who love driving and wish to use a premium quality fuel to enhance their driving experience. Shell Optimax is unique - a superior, higher performance petrol than standard unleaded, or the super unleaded petrols offered by some of our competitors. Our customers know that typically they will find that the pump price for Shell Optimax is similar to, and very often cheaper, than the prices charged by our competitors for super unleaded, an inferior product.

Each service station is looked at individually regarding fuel pricing, taking into account a large number of different factors - different levels of throughputs, location operating costs, competitive intensity, distribution costs, traffic flows, and so on, plus the incremental cost of manufacturing Optimax. This means that although prices in local areas are often very close to one another, variations can occur when travelling further a-field. Shell does not have national prices for fuel, but fluctuates against competition in any given area. The most intense competition, and therefore the lower prices for all fuels, tends to occur in areas with high population densities with a number of high volume service stations.

As a direct result of the intense levels of competition in the UK industry, pump prices in the UK excluding excise duty and VAT are amongst the cheapest in the world.

Please be assured that your comments have been passed onto our Retail pricing department.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to contact Shell UK and for your interest in this matter. I hope you find the explanation helpful and that we may continue to enjoy your custom in the future.

We'll run out of oil in about 20 years anyway. I'm sure the oil companies hold the patents for reliable electric cars and are just holding on to them to make the most of the last of the fossils.

Global warming will wipe us out before we run out of oil though so that doesn't matter either.

...Isn't it strange how every country that has threatened (or in Iraq's case, succeeded - albeit briefly) to move their oil industry from the US Dollar market into the Euro market also seems to be guilty of illegal nuclear programs?...

Not strange at all really.

If countries are allowed to trade oil in anything else than USD then it would *seriously* undermine the dollar as the undisputed 'reserve' currency.

It's bad enough that some countries, despite US threats, throw Euros into their foreign currency mix.

The balance is very precarious, as the Americans would hate to owe money to everybody else --- money that they cannot print!

Their reliability was exposed back in 1970 with Nixon admitting (indirectly) that the Fort Knox gold had been syphoned away. Only the French had the guts to demand their gold back --- laugh at the frogs at your peril.

I don't 'get' the strength and universal acceptance of the dollar...the country has massive foreign debt, most of which is owned by China, so why isn't the global economy run around the Renminbi??

There is a time and a place for everything.

The dollar's time has passed, but they are struggling to keep it afloat. Tooth and nail. Even if they have to threaten with nuclear war - they are fighting for their survival.

But things are not always as they seem --- apparent 'enemies' and 'competitors' might really be colluding and vice versa.

Nobody wants America to collapse all of a sudden. Just look at the trade routes. Every move has to be done at the right pace otherwise we risk a massive confidence loss in Fiat Money. Then what? Back to barter economies? Can't turn the clock back now.

yeah it sucks.

We'll run out of oil in about 20 years anyway. I'm sure the oil companies hold the patents for reliable electric cars and are just holding on to them to make the most of the last of the fossils.

Global warming will wipe us out before we run out of oil though so that doesn't matter either.

Nope....there are oil fields being dicovered all the time...and Canada has as much oil as Saudi Arabia...but it's trapped in sand from which it's harder to extract. Now that oil is more expensive it's more econimically viable to spend the money on extracting oil from Canadian sand.

So it won't run out soon, but yes oil seems to govern everything which is a shame.

What gets me everytime with these increases, is how us, the consumer has to pay immediately for it. Why?? The large petroleum companies stock pile their refined oil and petroleum, the stuff that they buy today (crude), won't make it to a vehicle's tank for approx 12 months. And it's not as if the cost of refining the product is spiralling. Its just outright profiteering on the oil company's part and as for the Government. Well I expect Mr Brown is rubbing his hands together in glee!

Just look at the profit all of the oil companies make. And they bleet on about how much of the product cost is tax.

CNUTS!!!!!

Blame it all on America again.....

It is the oil companies, stock market and the outrageous tax that this country charges on fuel that you should be bitching about.

The oil price will go even higher when the Chinese start driving cars instead of riding bikes, and that will be sooner rather than later

Indeed if we didn't have stupidly high tax we'd not be complaining so much.

The oil price will go even higher when the Chinese start driving cars instead of riding bikes, and that will be sooner rather than later

Exactly. Its not the US' fault. Its the demand for power from developing countries, like hoggles said ^^, China and India in particular are gonna increase the demand for oil massively.

Dont shit yourself, but I've heard talk of £7 a litre in fuel in the not too distant future.So its in our interest to develop engines etc that can use fuel more efficiently... thats pretty much been the standpoint of the japs from day one, since they have to import virtually all of their oil from other countries, thus they want to develop cars/ways to save/cut the demand on this resource thats costing them bucketloads.

And we, as owners of 3 litre gas guzzlers, are first to pay the price

£7 a litre? I hope my wages go up in comparison

I was laughing about this at work today, we were suggesting it's going to be roles reversed, it'll be us on the bloody bicycles and rik shaws!

rikshaws are cool, same as tuktuks in Thailand.

Us westerners will just no be on the passenger side, that's all.

try come over here where u will not get anything better than normal unleaded 95 ron

£1.019 here, shocking, but as mentioned, if we didn't pay such excessive tax on it we wouldn't be complaining anyway... and where the f**k does the money go anyway grrrr

Remember Gordon Brown has another tax raid (raise) scheduled for september which he will almost certainly put off if it would push the price of regular unleaded over£1.00/litre. Political suicide for someone who wants to be prime minister. Keep 95ron at around 94 -95 pence/litre for a few months and we'll be better off in the long run.

Remember Gordon Brown has another tax raid (raise) scheduled for september which he will almost certainly put off if it would push the price of regular unleaded over£1.00/litre. Political suicide for someone who wants to be prime minister. Keep 95ron at around 94 -95 pence/litre for a few months and we'll be better off in the long run.

I know it dosnt help much but its better than nothing team, Try this site http://www.petrolprices.com gives the cheapest stations near you i think its updated daily.

£1.019 here, shocking, but as mentioned, if we didn't pay such excessive tax on it we wouldn't be complaining anyway... and where the f**k does the money go anyway grrrr

Well £10 billion pounds today to educate african kids dosnt help imho.

Well £10 billion pounds today to educate african kids dosnt help imho.

9 billion of that will be taken by the corrupt African officials buying fleets of Mercedes. I love the way my taxes get spent......