Gas prices keep going up and the average price for a gallon is now over $3 for most of the United States. Summer is peak driving season and the demand for gas goes up.

Consumers will continue to buy gas because they need it. The prediction is that summer prices will break all records. They already have in California where gas is over $4 in one location.

Oil companies are blaming the necessity of retooling refineries to meet environmental regulations for the low supply that is driving the high prices. But do we really believe that the oil companies are going to dry up on the gas supply?

The AAA warns that prices may rise another 15 to 20 cents before they peak at the end of May.

Remember Jed Clampett? One day he was shooting at some food, and up through the ground came a-bubbling crude. Well, Steve Jordan ’s story is not exactly The Beverly Hillbillies but Steve Jordan did strike oil in his own back yard - literally.

Steve was sure there was oil on his property and he decided to drill for it. The drilling started in the front yard, went under the house, the swimming pool and a river that runs behind the house. But strike oil he did and now he pulls 20 barrels a day of what is extraordinarily high grade oil. Steve expects the well will produce enough to triple his million dollar investment.

Steve learned the oil business from his father and has dug a few dry wells in his time. The average citizen doesn’t have the money to start drilling for oil at home, even if he thought it was there. But still, it’s a nice dream - to have an oil well in your own back yard.

Video from WSOCTV.com

Oil prices have been going down steadily and consumers have been wondering why gasoline prices haven’t been following.

Part of it is obviously because your local service station has already bought its gas supply at a higher price and it isn’t until these stocks are depleted and replenished at a lower cost that you will see any savings at the pump. Another factor is that demand remains steady despite the price increases, which creates little incentive to lower prices. Eventually, as some stations lower prices others follow, which is what is happening right now.

Gas pump numbers finally have started to reflect the decline in oil prices with the national average per gallon of gasoline price down to $2.33 for regular. If that still seems high, consider last year’s prices of over $3 per gallon.

The direction of gas prices has everybody guessing and conspiracy theories abound. As gas prices have inched up a few cents this last week, some are using it to fuel their theory that Republicans, most notably George Bush, have used their influence to keep gas prices low before the election but now that elections are over and the Dems have Congress, they have given the nod and prices will creep back up.

Others reckon that gas prices may continue to go down, based on the theory that Democrats are into pushing conservation. They speculate that Democrats will focus on hybrid vehicles, conservation and bringing ethanol in as a contender fuel, which will lower the demand and ease prices on gasoline.

As usual, the consumer watches his fuel gauge and the prices on the sign at the gas station, while the politicians and market experts argue.