Here is whole lot of truth about gas prices, and to those that say: "the President doesn't set the price of gas"... pay close attention and maybe read it twice:
"You've been lied to by the President and his phony cronies, but I want to set the record straight. I'm going to tell you the truth, so pay attention"....
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FACT: There is enough recoverable crude oil within the continental US to supply current and projected future demand for 400+ years, and that's just the oil we know about. It doesn't account for future discoveries.
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FACT: We do not need to import a SINGLE DROP of foreign crude oil. The domestic oil industry can easily meet, and even surpass domestic demand. We've done it before, and we can do it again.
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FACT: The domestic oil industry currently cannot satisfy domestic demand due to oil drilling restrictions imposed by the federal government. That's a fact...
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FACT: The price of EVERYTHING revolves around oil, and the law of supply vs demand dictates the price of oil. When oil is plentiful, commodities are cheap. When oil is scarce, commodities are more expensive. Right now, domestic oil is scarce, and the price of everything is high because of these restrictions imposed by the federal government.
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FACT: We import foreign oil from countries that drill and produce it much cheaper than we're able to because they do not implement all of the environmental safeguards that we do. Their methods are FAR more destructive to the environment than ours are.
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FACT: Every year, the federal government leases tracts of land to oil companies so they can explore on it for oil. If enough oil is found during exploration, the company can then apply for a drilling permit which allows them to drill a well. If no oil is found during exploration, or if the amount found is not enough to be profitable the lease expires without ever being drilled on. Leases that are active, but not being drilled on does NOT mean that oil companies are being lazy, or are trying to keep the oil for themselves, etc. etc. It means they've either explored the lease for oil and found nothing, or found oil but it's not enough to justify drilling for.
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FACT: It’s not Russia's fault, or China's fault, or Ukraine, or India, or Venezuela, or Iran, or Bangladesh, or any other countries' fault as to why everything is so expensive right now. It's Joe Biden's fault, because he is suppressing the domestic oil industry for political gain.
EVERYTHING depends on crude oil... but you might not know that if you believe the lies that are being told about oil and the oil industry.
While I'll agree, monopolies are sought in every aspect of commercial enterprises, playing any and all angles.
The technocrats in the 20s came to realize that if you controlled all the energies of the industrial age, you effectively controlled every part of the production process, as energy is required for each and every step along the way.
Yielding a greater return on their investment and efforts.
This is the underlying reason for the neverending war on oil, because oil use to be wildcated without much effort by the many, ensuring a ready available cheap supply.
Before all the red tape and BS from the government, low tech, low cost, cable rigs struck many "white elephants". The OP stated 400+, I've seen estimates supporting at least this and many suggesting much more.
While I agree with your observations, control of access is highly manipulated in many industries.
The common denominator, the key, the holy grail to it all, in the industrial age, is energy.