I find it interesting that today there is talk of $4 per gallon gasoline this summer.  Just two weeks ago, purportedly due to $3 per gallon gasoline, the US reserves of refined gasoline were at record levels.  The average price of gas was actually following economic principles and  falling, at least until Venezuela stopped selling oil to Exxon.  That bit of news, along with the bump in crude oil prices to $102 per barrel, has driven prices back up, for now.   If people and businesses were cutting back at $3 a gallon, imagine what would happen at even higher levels.  As the reserves climb, the prices for the refined product will fall, followed by the crude product.  If, however, there is no cutback of usage, then prices will certainly continue to climb.