OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The researcher who led Senator Maria Cantwell to demand a federal investigation says the BP Cherry Point Refinery shutdown does not explain the recent spike in gas prices.

Robert McCullough with McCullough Research in Portland, Ore., says after February's fire at BP Cherry Point, refineries in California continued to shut down for scheduled maintenance.



He says normally, competitors would have stepped up supply to take advantage of the high prices.



He says prices are about $0.77 higher than what would be expected given crude oil prices.

This translates to a windfall profit for suppliers of about $48 million a day.

McCullough is the same man who helped bring down Enron for profiteering in 2001.