Nmap, there's no "perhaps" to it. Just a little background. My stepfamily has been in the oil business for over 60 years now and they have a long track record of giving me accurate info. They are on the inside. I also have old friends that are on the fuel additive and refinery side of the business. The truth doesn't sell as many newspapers or boost your rate card for advertising dollars.
The reason "they" haven't built them is due to "green" legislation. If we pulled the trigger today on building one, it could be the better part of 25 years before it would be online thanks to current laws. I was told less than a year ago that if we had 5 refineries online(3 sweet, 2 sour), that alone would drop the cost ~ $2-$2.10 for premium (in Texas).
ALso, the "green" nonsense of having "boutique" custom gasoline blends (like in California) drives the price up. And you already know the folly of alcohol in gasoline.
Lastly, on average, when it is all said and done, the evil big oil companies are running a margin of about 8.5 cents on the dollar. We just use a hell of a lot of gas.
Why do you think the media quotes gross profits and never quotes profit margins???
I'm with TR. Build one in my backyard.
P.S. If you want to get a feel for what the real margins are, this is the site for CA gasoline. Notice about 65 cents/gallon are taxes.....