Why are gas prices so high overall?
A. There are four main ingredients in the price of gas: crude oil prices, the refinery process, distribution and marketing, and taxes. Crude oil today accounts for about 73% of the cost of a gallon of gas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, up sharply because of the run-up in crude oil prices. Q. So what’s driven up the price of oil? A. Any number of factors, which some analysts attribute to fear about future oil supplies, others pin to the falling value of the U.S. dollar, and still others noting increasing moves by investors trying to profit. Oil prices have doubled in the past year, reaching more than $133 a barrel Wednesday. Prices have escalated as supplies from OPEC countries have remained flat, supplies from non-OPEC nations have fallen, and demand continues to grow, led by the rapidly industrializing economies in China and India. Q. What is reformulated gas? A. It is blended to burn cleaner by reducing smog-forming and toxic pollutants. In Wisconsin, gas is blended wit
