Interesting thoughts, Pavement.... That would be interesting if Big Oil decided to start trying to buy off its perceived "enemies"--the ethanol players. Not sure that would come close to happening but it's a really fun idea.
On ethanol players vis-a-vis oil prices, the thing is that PEIX is right now very vulnerable, technically speaking, as it is sitting just a nickel above its 50dma. With the 6% plunge in oil, the worst single-day drop in 3 years, i think the entire energy sector tomorrow will feel the "indiscriminate repercussions."
Seeing how bad the carnage is today in oilprices and the ex-USA trading of energy sector stocks, i'm thinking PEIX may test, even if only rather briefly (intraday, a few days?) the mid-$12s, e.g., a temporary drop of about 4%-5%.
JMO, and i could be quite wrong.....