When is the last time a new refinery was built? Wasn't it sometime in the early 80s or late 70s? Basically, 30+ years without any substantial expansion of refining capacity. That's why, as with Hurricane Katrina, any time one or two refineries go offline even for just a few days it has an immediate ripple effect.
Of course, when prices spiked in the aftermath of Katrina, it was because Bush and Cheney are oil men.