It's amazing to see the level of devastation. To put it in perspective, just one of those refineries that is out of commission is larger than all five refineries in Utah combined ? and there are numbers that are not operational. |
The good news is that there is no constraint of supply here in Utah or the Intermountain West. The refineries are operating at full capacity. The bad news is, many markets draw on supplies from the Southeast, such as the Midwest and even into Colorado. They have found it economical to come to Utah and buy supplies from here. Really, the bottom line is, we're not insulated from the price effects. |
The trend upward is definitely a direct result of Hurricane Katrina. The price of crude oil is set in international markets. We are not insulated from the price of the raw material. We can't isolate ourselves, because if our prices are substantially lower in the Intermountain West than, for example, in the Midwest, it then becomes economical to send trucks from the Midwest to terminals in the West. |