Re: E-85

Chumango-

You are correct with your statement of profits is the monies left after paying expense. This is the problem I have with the oil companies. Look at your own numbers. 19.9 billion on capital expense and explortation and then 7.6 billion on dividends plus a whooping 29.6 billion on buying their OWN stock purchases TO BOOST THIER SHARE PRICES. Then they want to raise the price of gas because of production problems (lack of maintenace, slow productions, old equipment et al). Why not REINVEST in thier company more with spending it on updating thier old pipelines, more on oil exploration (instead of relying on OPEC nations for the oil) and alternative fuels. The business that I am in, our profit margins is only 5 percent and that is without using 29.6 BILLION in buying our own stock back to boost the company profit margins for bigger dividends.