[StBernard] Murphy Oil Gas Prices

[Westley Annis]

Although this story isn't about St. Bernard Parish, it is about gas prices
which affects everyone and it singles out Murphy Oil, who has a large
corporate presence in St. Bernard.

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>From the Picayune Item - Picayune, MS


Gas on the rise.

By Jeremy Pittari/Item Correspondent

After the hurricane, many gas stations in Picayune have seen increases in
prices, some more than others.



Most stations in town are now charging $2.83 a gallon for regular grade
fuel. Those include Chevron in all locations, Exxon and Shell on Memorial
Boulevard and BP on U.S. 11. However, the BP is giving a four-cent discount
for cash purchases.



The cheapest stations in town, except for when cash is used at the BP
station, are the Spur on Memorial Boulevard, Murphy's in front of Wal-Mart,
Bill's quick Stop on Mississippi 43 South, Mickey's numbers 1 and 2, and the
Conoco station on U.S. 11.



The highest price on gas is K&T Spur on U.S. 11 North, at $3.59 a gallon for
regular. Contrary to popular belief, Troy Whitfield says he is not price
gouging, in fact he says he is being gouged on price. The two other stations
in town that sell Murphy Oil gas, the one located in front of Wal-Mart, and
the Spur on Memorial Boulevard, are charging far less. K&T Spur gets
shipments from Murphy Oil, the only difference is that the two stations with
cheaper prices have pumps owned by Murphy Oil. K&T Spur owns the pumps at
the location on U.S. 11 North.



Naturally, customers are up in arms over the difference in price between the
K&T Spur and other stations in town. Whitfield has contacted the office of
Murphy Oil but has not received a reply, nor has the Picayune Item. Two
attempts to reach the offices of Murphy Oil have ended with only information
taken from the caller and a, "We'll have someone from the pricing manager's
office call you."



Whitfield is being charged $3.55 a gallon for the fuel he is selling, while
the stations in town that have Murphy Oil corporate-owned pumps are only
charging $2.81. Whitfield would like to know why.



A fax sent to Whitfield from Murphy Oil made a suggestion proposed by one
company that there are two choices, "either match Hess and Shell pump prices
and lose $2,000 per transport delivery, or bag the pumps and wait until the
inversion clears."



Customers in town have mixed reviews on the current price, which even at the
cheapest price is still high.



"I think some increase is to be expected 'cause of the storm but it has
reached an unreasonable high," said Allen Lossett of Picayune.



Other members of the community agree prices are too high. "I don't like to
pay that much for it," said Dorothy Lee of Picayune.



Other people from out of town have seen worse situations than what is going
on in Picayune.



"The Governor in Atlanta closed schools Monday and Tuesday to conserve gas,
the situation here is looking pretty decent," said Cedric Dimkins of New
Orleans. When he was in Atlanta, Dinkins said the price there was about
$3.15 a gallon.



Motorists that visited Slidell, La., on Saturday, found prices generally at
$2.99 a gallon for regular.



Increases in price are impacting the communities ability to function.



"The prices are making it hard for common working folk to get around," said
Lossett.



Lossett suggests the president put a cap on prices to keep them from
skyrocketing even further.