Well, this time it ain't the tree huggers. Lee Raymond, CEO of ExxonMobil is on record saying that there is little profit operating a refinery compared to pumping the oil or distributing product. He said that's the main reason that no new refineries are being built. Furthermore, the number of refineries in the US has DECREASED by over a third in the last 20 years, and their capacity has been partially replaced by upgrading the remaining refineries for added efficiency and throughput. The net result is that the remaining refinery capacity is just enough for demand, and any disturbance, like a hurricane or a refinery fire results in a near shortage, which is a good excuse to raise prices.
Don't blame the tree huggers. Ask big oil why they aren't restarting some of those shut down refineries to meet the demand for fuel - the answer will be bafflegab, but what they DON'T want to do is drive down the price of fuel at the pumps. My ***, they were making a very healthy profit at $40/barrel, and the cost of pumping, refining, and distribution hasn't changed. $65/barrel is obscene.

Warren
(Used to work for Exxon)