How Are Gas Prices Determined?

A comment from a loyal reader 'nimic' on a previous post reminded me of an article I had seen several months ago. I thought that I referenced it somewhere, but I couldn't find it. So, I'll post it here and in my links section. It is actually a brochure from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). They have a pretty good site with a lot of - surprisingly enough - information about energy.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasolinepricesprimer/

It lists the major reasons for gasoline price fluctuations:

Seasonal Demand
Crude Oil Supply and Price
Gasoline Supply and Demand Imbalances
Distance From Supply
Supply Disruptions
Retail Competition and Operating Costs
Environmental Programs

I found it to be an informative and interesting resource. I hope you do as well. It may make you reminisce about the good old days of '07 when gas prices were in the $2.70 range, however.