Read the articles below about oil prices and price gouging (some of them are a little old but still relevant):

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/krantz/2006-05-09-gasoline-prices_x.htm
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5150 
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2005/08/24/an_oil_crisis_part_ii
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/03/16/gas-prices-the-kim-kardashian-of-inflation/?KEYWORDS=gas+prices