This must be indicative of our different points of view. I think the tank is half -empty.

I understand exactly the point you're trying to make, but when I read the headline, my first thought was totally the other wy:

"Wait a minute, if the demand is dropping, shouldn't the price be dropping too in order to try and generate more sales? According to classic market theory, the price people are willing to pay should eventually come into equilibrium with what the seller is willing to charge for it."

I guess whether the price chases demand, or vice versa, depends on how badly you need the commodity, not how much you want it. In other words, scarcity. If the price goes too high, you use less gas, but there comes a point when you have to get to work (or heat your house), at which point you pay whatever you have to.

Then again, maybe the seller is searching for the point at which the price - demand equilibrium maximizes profit. Sellers usually respond to decreased sales by lowering prices, not raising them. In this case, its not market theory any more, its just marketing.