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<blockquote data-quote="Babagounj" data-source="post: 959128" data-attributes="member: 12952">[h=1]Gas Prices Will Spike Higher Through Spring[/h]Demand for gasoline tends to drop off in winter. That makes it the&nbsp; perfect time for refineries to get ready for summer, when the objective&nbsp; is to produce as much fuel as possible. The catch is that the refining&nbsp; industry&#039;s version of spring cleaning causes supplies to shrink and&nbsp; prices to rise. To be specific:_ Refineries need major maintenance once every four years, on average.&nbsp; On a practical level, that means one-fourth of the nation&#039;s refining&nbsp; capacity is temporarily shut down in the first quarter of every year.&nbsp; Because the U.S. has half the number of refineries it did in 1980, a&nbsp; delay in getting one or two back up and running has a greater impact&nbsp; than in the past._ To comply with the Clean Air Act and limit smog, refiners have to make&nbsp; a special blend of gasoline that doesn&#039;t easily evaporate in the warm&nbsp; summer air. The fuel is 5 to 15 cents a gallon more expensive to make&nbsp; because of raw material costs._ The nationwide fuel supply can&#039;t be transformed overnight. Between&nbsp; April 1, when refiners must start making the summer blend, and June 1,&nbsp; when retailers have to be selling it, supplies become uncertain, and&nbsp; prices at the pump rise.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Babagounj, post: 959128, member: 12952"] [h=1]Gas Prices Will Spike Higher Through Spring[/h]Demand for gasoline tends to drop off in winter. That makes it the perfect time for refineries to get ready for summer, when the objective is to produce as much fuel as possible. The catch is that the refining industry's version of spring cleaning causes supplies to shrink and prices to rise. To be specific: _ Refineries need major maintenance once every four years, on average. On a practical level, that means one-fourth of the nation's refining capacity is temporarily shut down in the first quarter of every year. Because the U.S. has half the number of refineries it did in 1980, a delay in getting one or two back up and running has a greater impact than in the past. _ To comply with the Clean Air Act and limit smog, refiners have to make a special blend of gasoline that doesn't easily evaporate in the warm summer air. The fuel is 5 to 15 cents a gallon more expensive to make because of raw material costs. _ The nationwide fuel supply can't be transformed overnight. Between April 1, when refiners must start making the summer blend, and June 1, when retailers have to be selling it, supplies become uncertain, and prices at the pump rise. [/QUOTE]

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