Strategy for Petroleum Based Fuels Brokers

The profitability of independent brokers of petroleumbased fuels has suffered in recent years in comparison to historical performance levels. Performance problems may be attributed, in part, to a plethora of factorsactions and policies of the major integrated oil companies, environmental considerations (and associated governmental regulations) related to the burning of fossil fuels, the nation's dependence on foreign energy sources (including both [1] economic implications associated with the international trade deficit and [2] alternative fuels development), and the level of proven crude oil reserves. In the contemporary environment, independent brokers of petroleumbased fuels must formulate and implement strategies that will enhance their prospects for continued viability.

The population that will be studied includes all independent brokers of petroleumbased fuels in the United States. The subgroups of interest within this population are those brokers that concentrate on (1) crude oil, (2) refined products, and on (3) integrated brokers marketing both crude oil and refined products.

Primary data will be gathered through the administration of a survey instrument to a sample of the research population. The survey is the most efficient method of collecting data from the geographically dispersed population of independent petroleu