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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1983)
state Battalion/Page 7 February 16, 1983 Decrease in oil demand may not lower gas prices over a lo inot spdi iC preside he« staff photo by Ronnie Emerson Close uiss Burt Bailey, a sophomore engineering • a break between classes to enjoy a game technology major from Clear Lake, takes of frisbee. United Press International DALLAS — Because of ex isting reductions in demand, oil industry experts indicate that reductions in domestic crude prices may not result in a savings for motorists at the pump. Texaco USA, Phillips Pet roleum Co. and Diamond Sham rock Monday announced a $1 reduction in the price they will pay for a barrel of crude oil. Ideally, the reduction should translate into a 2.5 cents a gallon drop in gasoline prices. However, industry observers note that declining crude oil prices will hit hardest at the in dependent producers whose economic interest ends at the wellhead. Diversified companies will experience a loss at one end of their operations that will be offset by a savings at the other, according to experts. Houston analyst John Ryan, who believes that these price- cuts could spread throughout the industry, said that crude oil prices are still following spot prices down. According to Ryan, the latest price-cuts will widen the gap be tween the price paid for domes tic oil and the official $34 ben chmark price charged by OPEC. Reports of impending price cuts by OPEC have circulated for several weeks. The major concern for pro ducers is that falling crude prices will result in an even further decline in oil and gas ex ploration, which has already dropped nearly 40 percent since 1981. p that re may eni! A'erful rid, ig left to rtificial legs elp bird walk SUPERIOR AUTO SERVICE Auto Repair at it’s Best 111 Royal, Bryan Just one mile north of Campus 846-5344 i in'i United Press International CORPUS CHRISTI —Shaky, shorter, but able to move about is backyard cage, Bonaparte e crane is on his feet — and a ew set of specially designed fostic legs. “He’s doing real good,” De- foie McCreless, keeper of the Sandhill Crane whose legs were ypped off below the knee by an nimal trap earlier this year, said 'onday. Bonaparte has been fitted ith several sets of artificial mbs but experienced difficulty alking because the limbs lack- id flexibility, said McCreless, ho operates a private bird san- ary at her home. The bird was fitted with his [test artificial limbs Sunday, ising him to about three- urths of his natural height. “They are three inches lon- r than the last set. We’re hop- g to gradually add an inch at a e until he reaches his natural ight,” she said. The new legs, created by terinary technician John Kar- r of San Antonio, are made of exible plastic tubing with suc- bn cups at the bottom. “Karger had them about 8 inches hgh two weeks ago, but that wastoo much of a big step for Boiaparte, so we cut them down to about 4 inches. With Bonaparte’s nubs, which are ab out 3 riches, he’s about 7 inches off the ground,” said Karger. NfcCreless said she does not knov the sex of the gray-and- rusteolored bird, but its red cap, striking orange eyes and regal bearing reminded her of Napo leon. “He tries so hard to be a good bird,” she said. “He tries to walk, and he keeps himself clean. And he’s got such a personality. “This is my first crane,” she said. “I didn’t know a crane had this much personality. He com municates all the time. He sounds like a cat purring, but louder.” Although at first people thought an alligator might have damaged the bird’s legs, but McCreless said she believes it was a coyote trap. “Whatever shattered his legs was one heck of a force, because I’ve pulled bone splinters out of his nubs that are an inch long and thin,” she said. WAYNE PRITCHARD DAN WASKOW MSC Amateur Radio Committee will have a tour of the Zachry Solid-State Labs Thursday February 1 7 7:00 PM Meet in Zachry Lobby Visitors welcome! Memberships still available. Equipment condition is improving every week. J.C W5AC The windfall profits tax, which obligates major oil com panies to pay a 70 percent tax on oil discovered before 1979, will result in only a 30 cent cost per each $1 decline in prices. Inde pendent producers would lose 50 cents on the same oil because their tax rate is lower. This creates a situation in which the federal government will share in the decline of oil prices because the windfall pro fits tax has, in effect, made the government a silent partner in the oil business. John Lichtblau, president of the Petroleum Industry Re search Foundation in New York, told the Dallas Times Herald that with state taxes included, as much as 80 percent of the $1 reduction will be carried by the government in the form of lost taxes. Another factor that buffers the major oil companies is the savings they will encounter in their refining divisions. For ex ample, a $1 price slide might cost their producing divisions 50 cents after taxes, but it repre sents a $ 1 savings to the refining divisions. Bob Mehall, Diamond Sham rock vice president of crude oil and liquids says that price reduc tions are beneficial if the selling prices of the products manufac tured are sufficient to produce a profit margin. Mehall summa rizes the situation by noting that his firm benefits from the price- recuctions because Diamond 1 Shamrock is buying oil rather 1 than producing it. Mehall says the $1 drop in j crude oil is not substantial ! enough to affect the profits of ! the marketing and refining seg- I ments of the industry. SHOOTOUT SETTLE YOUR GRUDGE f bring your mochin* lo zachry parking lot and rosolvo the disputes as to who can . really handle a car. this SUNDAY the 20, autocross registration begins at it 30 RACING starts at 2:00 (or more information contact: brian 260 1171 myles " "1405 WHEN: wed. night WHERE: 410 Rudder TIME: 8:30 NEW RACERS RUN FREE Texas A&M Sports Car Club It’s Simple Math, THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF 1 MUG OF BEER EQUALS THAT OF 1 GLASS OF WINE EQUALS THAT OF 1 0Z. OF LIQUOR HBkCCHUS m ’■TEXAS AM CHAPTER ALCOHOL AWARENESS PROJECT 845-5826 TWO-NINETY-NINER-SPECIAL BURGERS, TACO SALAD or FAJITAS * ONLY $2.99 Take off at Tecs during the month of February for lunch, dinner or late munchies. NO COUPON NEEDED — JUST COME & GEfT IT! FUIM * FOOD • DRIIMKs HAPPY HOUR — 4 till Midnight WEEKEND HAPPY HOUR — 4 till 1 am