It’s Memorial Day!! A day to remember all of the people that have serviced this great country! Do we still look at it that way? Or do we look at it as a day off from work. Today, I did one of the American traditions on this day and went to the local parade. Not just any parade but the Doylestown Town parade. I live it Doylestown and it’s a really great place to live. Think of Mayberry with a couple of extra dollars in the pockets of the people that live there. Go to Google and you can see it’s a really nice place.
Ok, so what does this have to do with fuel? A couple of things I think of are how many wars we have been it to protect certain lines of combat and how many of those wars involved protecting oil rich countries. One word, Iraq, but the list is a lot longer. As you know from many other columns, I am very neutral on my politics. If you tried to figure me out it would drive you crazy.
Other things I was thinking of as I watched was the local Fire Department display of its fire trucks burning fuel, and all of the elected officials riding on the back of cars waving and let’s not forget the corvette show of people racing their engines as more than 30 -40 of these things go by. I guess it’s all good fun. A lot of wasted energy for sure but if the crowds weren’t watching the parade what would they be doing, probably burning some other kind of energy.
I guess where this person struggles with everything, is how do you get into the parade? We don’t make corvettes in Doylestown. It is certainly nice to pay our appreciation to the fire department, police department, ambulance department, Lions club, American Legion, Boy scouts, Girl scouts and many other organizations that are involved. Could we do it without the cars and trucks?
Listen, we waste energy at Sokolis Group too and we also waste energy at the Sokolis household. I don’t like to but it happens. My only thought is could we be more proactive when it comes to these things.
Sokolis Group is a fuel management and fuel consulting company. We help companies buy and manage their fuel usage as well as helping them reduce the amount of fuel and energy they burn. Please visit us at www.sokolisgroup.com or 267-482-6155. 3 Cheers for America, the Best Country in the World.
PS.
OPEC meets next week about production and output. Let’s see how that goes.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Fuel Up, Up and Away!!
So have you heard. The economy is better, therefore fuel prices are going higher. Oil rose to a fresh six month high above $60 a barrel on Tuesday as unrest in key producer Nigeria and a U.S. refinery outage kindled concerns over oil fundamentals after weeks of equity-led rallies.
Sure there are other things that are making gas prices higher and diesel fuel prices higher. Let's take a look.
Key African and OPEC producer Nigeria has long suffered from losing part of its oil output and missing export obligations due to insecurity in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Main militant group said on Monday it would blockade key waterways in the delta to try to prevent crude oil exports after days of military helicopter and gunboat raids on its camps. We were getting cheap gas or diesel fuel out of this area anyway because of the issues, now it's going to help make the fuel prices jump up higher?
In the world's top consumer United States, an explosion disrupted output at Sunoco's refinery in Pennsylvania, pushing U.S. RBOB gasoline to a seven-month high ahead of the peak summer driving season. Yes, Sunoco which is only 25 miles away from Sokolis Group headquarters is a large producer of gas on the East Coast, so I could see a small spike maybe a couple of pennies a gallon of fuel.
The fact is gas prices are up 25 cents over the last 3 weeks before the issue at Sunoco. I still don't believe that these prices are real. Short term no cheap gas, yes. Longer term, this price is peeling back a dime or two. Just my guess.
To keep up with the latest in fuel costs, fuel discounts turn to Sokolis Group a fuel management and fuel consulting company here to help you at www.sokolisgroup.com or 267-482-6155.
Sure there are other things that are making gas prices higher and diesel fuel prices higher. Let's take a look.
Key African and OPEC producer Nigeria has long suffered from losing part of its oil output and missing export obligations due to insecurity in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Main militant group said on Monday it would blockade key waterways in the delta to try to prevent crude oil exports after days of military helicopter and gunboat raids on its camps. We were getting cheap gas or diesel fuel out of this area anyway because of the issues, now it's going to help make the fuel prices jump up higher?
In the world's top consumer United States, an explosion disrupted output at Sunoco's refinery in Pennsylvania, pushing U.S. RBOB gasoline to a seven-month high ahead of the peak summer driving season. Yes, Sunoco which is only 25 miles away from Sokolis Group headquarters is a large producer of gas on the East Coast, so I could see a small spike maybe a couple of pennies a gallon of fuel.
The fact is gas prices are up 25 cents over the last 3 weeks before the issue at Sunoco. I still don't believe that these prices are real. Short term no cheap gas, yes. Longer term, this price is peeling back a dime or two. Just my guess.
To keep up with the latest in fuel costs, fuel discounts turn to Sokolis Group a fuel management and fuel consulting company here to help you at www.sokolisgroup.com or 267-482-6155.
Monday, May 11, 2009
FUEL'S Crystal Ball
If you have any doubts about the future direction of fuel prices, pay attention to what’s happening today.
Don’t be lulled by the fact that the average price for a gallon of diesel has declined to $2.185 a gallon, well below the record of more than $4.75 set in July. Don’t let the first whiffs of economic revival mask the inevitable return of fuel-price increases.
A barrel of crude oil on New York’s Mercantile Exchange hit almost $57 last week, reaching its highest trading level since November. Crude prices have now risen 18% during 2009, even as year-over-year demand for diesel is 18% below year-ago levels and as crude stocks have reached their highest levels since 1990.
Last week’s crude prices apparently were sparked, at least in part, by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, when he made some very measured statements about what he termed the early stages of economic healing.
Bernanke said the housing market is beginning to stabilize and that the sharp reduction in business inventories noted during the first quarter was apparently nearing an end.
One can only guess what would have happened to crude oil prices if Bernanke had made more positive comments.
Commodities speculators apparently are convinced that the tight supply situation that helped push crude prices to $120 a barrel a year ago will quickly reappear when the worldwide recession ends.
Prudent trucking fleets won’t relax their efforts to improve their fuel efficiency, efforts that began when fuel prices went haywire.
Even as lower prices have made it harder for fleet executives to shell out money to improve fuel use, our fuel story this week shows that some are moving ahead with their efficiency programs.
Failure to act now could lead to a repeat of what happened to many fleets when fuel prices went on a rampage not so long ago.
As a nation, we are no better prepared to cope today than we were last year, when records were being set even as the world slid into the recession.
Thus, prudent fleet executives need to prepare now for the higher fuel prices that we know are coming.
If you are a fleet executive and you are playing the game of chess with fuel prices, what's your next move? Do you have one? Are you feeling sleepy because you are forgetting about the fuel prices, like others before forgot about the hurricanes?
My next move as a fleet executive, fuel manager, fuel buyer would be to hire the Sokolis Group a fuel management and fuel consulting company. You are saying to yourself of course that is what you would say but hear me out. Today fuel prices are low, not as low as a couple of months ago but still low. Do you know how well you are doing today with the way you buy fuel? Or are you stabbing at it like so many fleets do?
If you had legal issues would you try to read the documents yourself and sign off on them? I don't think you would so now is the time to have a fuel expert, look at your fuel program. Sokolis Group will review your fuel buying process, fleet fuel cards, discount fuel program.
You will be able to rest easy to know a fuel management and fuel consulting team is working to solve all your fuel price issues and headaches.
Sokolis Group is a fuel management and fuel consulting company. 267-482-6155 or http://www.sokolisgroup.com/
Parts of this article were contributed by Transport Topics
Don’t be lulled by the fact that the average price for a gallon of diesel has declined to $2.185 a gallon, well below the record of more than $4.75 set in July. Don’t let the first whiffs of economic revival mask the inevitable return of fuel-price increases.
A barrel of crude oil on New York’s Mercantile Exchange hit almost $57 last week, reaching its highest trading level since November. Crude prices have now risen 18% during 2009, even as year-over-year demand for diesel is 18% below year-ago levels and as crude stocks have reached their highest levels since 1990.
Last week’s crude prices apparently were sparked, at least in part, by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, when he made some very measured statements about what he termed the early stages of economic healing.
Bernanke said the housing market is beginning to stabilize and that the sharp reduction in business inventories noted during the first quarter was apparently nearing an end.
One can only guess what would have happened to crude oil prices if Bernanke had made more positive comments.
Commodities speculators apparently are convinced that the tight supply situation that helped push crude prices to $120 a barrel a year ago will quickly reappear when the worldwide recession ends.
Prudent trucking fleets won’t relax their efforts to improve their fuel efficiency, efforts that began when fuel prices went haywire.
Even as lower prices have made it harder for fleet executives to shell out money to improve fuel use, our fuel story this week shows that some are moving ahead with their efficiency programs.
Failure to act now could lead to a repeat of what happened to many fleets when fuel prices went on a rampage not so long ago.
As a nation, we are no better prepared to cope today than we were last year, when records were being set even as the world slid into the recession.
Thus, prudent fleet executives need to prepare now for the higher fuel prices that we know are coming.
If you are a fleet executive and you are playing the game of chess with fuel prices, what's your next move? Do you have one? Are you feeling sleepy because you are forgetting about the fuel prices, like others before forgot about the hurricanes?
My next move as a fleet executive, fuel manager, fuel buyer would be to hire the Sokolis Group a fuel management and fuel consulting company. You are saying to yourself of course that is what you would say but hear me out. Today fuel prices are low, not as low as a couple of months ago but still low. Do you know how well you are doing today with the way you buy fuel? Or are you stabbing at it like so many fleets do?
If you had legal issues would you try to read the documents yourself and sign off on them? I don't think you would so now is the time to have a fuel expert, look at your fuel program. Sokolis Group will review your fuel buying process, fleet fuel cards, discount fuel program.
You will be able to rest easy to know a fuel management and fuel consulting team is working to solve all your fuel price issues and headaches.
Sokolis Group is a fuel management and fuel consulting company. 267-482-6155 or http://www.sokolisgroup.com/
Parts of this article were contributed by Transport Topics
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Turn Around in Fuel?
I am all for an economic turn around. It can't happen fast enough for any of us but are we going against false hopes at least in fuel?
So U.S. gasoline stocks declined unexpectedly last week, falling 200,000 barrels to 212.4 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
The EIA reported that crude inventories increased 600,000 barrels last week to a fresh 19-year high at 375.3 million barrels, a smaller build than expected. Yes, you read that correctly a fresh 19 year high. We are really swimming in oil.
Ok, Michael Phelps swimming in oil. Then why has fuel rose over 10% in the first 3 days of this week? Hope, the hope that fuel is going to go up because the economy is getting better. Sure it's getting better don't you see all of the people dancing in the streets! Oh, my bad those are the unemployed workers, bankers going through "stress tests," earns off by some companies.
I don't want to be Joe the Downer or Joe the Plumber or anything like that, we have all seen the market raise 2,000 points over the last 7 weeks or so and that is great. Did any of us truly feel that the market should have gone that low? No! Gloom and doom media hype. Did we see it in fuel last summer? Remember at the gas pumps $4.00 a gallon, diesel fuel $5.00 a gallon. Fuel was the top story everyday and they weren't talking about cheap gas or cheap diesel fuel.
Prediction today. Fuel won't reach $60 a barrel over the next 3 months and the Dow will get to 10,000 before crude oil gets to $70 a barrel.
When you call me to tell me I was wrong, if I am remember that predicting the future is not my business. Fuel management and fuel consulting are which are things we can control. For more information on how you can make your company stronger reach out to Sokolis Group, Fuel management and Fuel consulting at www.sokolisgroup.com & 267-482-6155. Your company needs a solid fleet fuel program, let us put a fuel program in place for you now.
So U.S. gasoline stocks declined unexpectedly last week, falling 200,000 barrels to 212.4 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
The EIA reported that crude inventories increased 600,000 barrels last week to a fresh 19-year high at 375.3 million barrels, a smaller build than expected. Yes, you read that correctly a fresh 19 year high. We are really swimming in oil.
Ok, Michael Phelps swimming in oil. Then why has fuel rose over 10% in the first 3 days of this week? Hope, the hope that fuel is going to go up because the economy is getting better. Sure it's getting better don't you see all of the people dancing in the streets! Oh, my bad those are the unemployed workers, bankers going through "stress tests," earns off by some companies.
I don't want to be Joe the Downer or Joe the Plumber or anything like that, we have all seen the market raise 2,000 points over the last 7 weeks or so and that is great. Did any of us truly feel that the market should have gone that low? No! Gloom and doom media hype. Did we see it in fuel last summer? Remember at the gas pumps $4.00 a gallon, diesel fuel $5.00 a gallon. Fuel was the top story everyday and they weren't talking about cheap gas or cheap diesel fuel.
Prediction today. Fuel won't reach $60 a barrel over the next 3 months and the Dow will get to 10,000 before crude oil gets to $70 a barrel.
When you call me to tell me I was wrong, if I am remember that predicting the future is not my business. Fuel management and fuel consulting are which are things we can control. For more information on how you can make your company stronger reach out to Sokolis Group, Fuel management and Fuel consulting at www.sokolisgroup.com & 267-482-6155. Your company needs a solid fleet fuel program, let us put a fuel program in place for you now.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Fuel Prices Up's and Down's!
We start this week with Fuel prices from crude oil up about 8% since last Monday. We all expected that to happen did we? I mean last weeks financial news and news in general was wonderful.
It just goes to show you, how crazy the World Oil market is. This week will test the Oil market a little and see what happens to it. We have big news this week coming out. The U.S. government on the health of 19 big banks on Thursday (let's hope they don't have the Swine Flu) and April's unemployment rate since we are coming of the March unemployment rate the highest in 25 years.
If there are some positives from both of these reports and the stock markets continue to do their slow but steady climb, we could see fuel grab hold and run up into the high 50's.
The other side of things of coarse is we have the Miss Piggy Flu out there that everyone says is under control but what would you expect people to say we have a massive outbreak drive your SUV's (forgot you got rid of them when oil prices went to $5.00 last summer) OK, drive you hybrids to the hills and hide. Last week this news was pulling the fuel market down early in the week.
It's strange last I looked we still had barrels and barrels of oil and were over supplied. It's always nice to have wishful thinking that things are going to get better sooner than later but most believe we still have 6-9 more months before things will turn around. Maybe there is some kind of groundhog in Pennsylvania we can pull out of the ground that will give us a more accurate prediction.
In the meantime, look towards our advise and give us a call 267-482-6155. The Sokolis Group's fuel management and fuel consulting programs have helped many of the leading companies in the country with how they manage fuel supply. We can help you too. www.sokolisgroup.com.
It just goes to show you, how crazy the World Oil market is. This week will test the Oil market a little and see what happens to it. We have big news this week coming out. The U.S. government on the health of 19 big banks on Thursday (let's hope they don't have the Swine Flu) and April's unemployment rate since we are coming of the March unemployment rate the highest in 25 years.
If there are some positives from both of these reports and the stock markets continue to do their slow but steady climb, we could see fuel grab hold and run up into the high 50's.
The other side of things of coarse is we have the Miss Piggy Flu out there that everyone says is under control but what would you expect people to say we have a massive outbreak drive your SUV's (forgot you got rid of them when oil prices went to $5.00 last summer) OK, drive you hybrids to the hills and hide. Last week this news was pulling the fuel market down early in the week.
It's strange last I looked we still had barrels and barrels of oil and were over supplied. It's always nice to have wishful thinking that things are going to get better sooner than later but most believe we still have 6-9 more months before things will turn around. Maybe there is some kind of groundhog in Pennsylvania we can pull out of the ground that will give us a more accurate prediction.
In the meantime, look towards our advise and give us a call 267-482-6155. The Sokolis Group's fuel management and fuel consulting programs have helped many of the leading companies in the country with how they manage fuel supply. We can help you too. www.sokolisgroup.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
