The futures market expects unleaded to stay above 60 cents per gallon all the way to next summer. Many people think so. Petroleum producers, notably OPEC, would like to control prices. But they haven't had a firm grasp on production for years. Even so, they have managed to squeeze more profit per barrel.
Oil consumption is up.
North America hasn't used this much oil since the late '70's. The Far East is using nearly twice as much oil as it did 20 years ago. While production is up about 5 million barrels per day, it hasn't kept pace with demand. And that means higher profits for producers. The obvious answer is to limit the number of miles you drive.