When I retired the taxes were about 8 times as much as the profit we made for each gallon. In the 4 years I have been gone I am SURE the taxes haven gone down. Premium was being sold for about 53¢ per gallon in 2004. The price fluctuated by the minute, just like the stock market. If the spread between Jet fuel, Diesel, and Premium gasoline changed very dramaticly the refinery would shift production. That is called 'chasing the market' Mobil was very good at it, Exxon's policy was not to chase the market. So after the merger We stopped, well unless the spread got TOO GREAT. A real no-brainer. Refiners do not make a large mark-up on fuels, they don't have to. It's like Las Vegas.... if you get 2¢~3¢ from ever dollar that goes through the casino you make a killing simply because so many dollars go through. I don't think you can comprehend the quantity of fuel US refineries produce. It's like filling up the Gulf of Mexico weekly! (well maybe that is a stretch )One refiner does everything it can to cut cost and make more profit, but it has to be the best deal for the consumer or they buy elsewhere (Not so much gasoline stations but fuel suppliers, etc.) If ExxonMobil can shave a penny off a gallon they will to put pressure on competition. Believe me the Exxon part of ExxonMobil is pretty ruthless competition. That's how they got where they are. The vulgar profits they report are not just from gasoline. Who do you think fuels up the United States Military, a lot of the UK's Air Force, and many many other HUGE consumers? The profits they report are not made in just the USA but globally. They stick it to EVERYBODY so don't feel like you are paying the whole bill, just part of it. If ExxonMobil folded up who would you get finished productts from? Saudi Arabia? Venezuela? Russia? I don't think you will get a better deal from them either. Like I said earlier it is a VERY COMPLEX problem with no easy solutions.