Oil Jumps 8.5% from Friday to President’s Day

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Oil prices soared to the highest level in more than two years as violence spread in Libya and Moammar Gadhafi’s grip weakened over the country.

A Fear Tax is the increase in price of oil when there is some worry that there will be disruption in oil supplies from the Middle East. And that makes gasoline that’s already bought and paid for, become more valuable in anticipation that the next shipment will be more expensive. U.S. crude for March delivery, which expired on Tuesday, rose to $93.57 a barrel, after touching $94.49, the highest since October 2008. Oil was up $7.37 a barrel from Friday. There was trading Monday, but the data was not printed until Tuesday because of President’s Day.

Saudi Arabia could easily replace the supply of oil that Libya produces. Libya, pumps about 2 percent of world output oil. Libya is a major oil supplier to Egypt.