Diesel Holds at $3.981 a Gallon; Gas Dips 2.1¢
Diesel held at $3.981 a gallon, matching last week’s five-month high, while gasoline slipped 2.1 cents to $3.587, the Department of Energy reported.
The flat diesel reading followed a cumulative gain of 8.5 cents in three straight increases, including last week’s 6.8-cent jump.
Trucking’s main fuel is now 15.1 cents below the same week last year, DOE said following its weekly survey of filling stations. Gas is 26 cents below a year ago.
Diesel has risen in seven of the past nine weeks, leaving it 16.4 cents higher than it was in early July, according to DOE figures. Last week’s price was the highest since April 1.
After topping out at $110.53 a barrel on Friday — the highest since May 2011 — crude oil prices receded $1.01 Monday to finish the trading day at $109.52 a barrel, Bloomberg News reported.
Oil markets were tempered by President Obama’s plan for military action against Syria, with a planned Congressional vote on the issue likely to be close, Bloomberg reported.
Obama will address the nation Tuesday night to present his case to the American public, news services reported.
Each week, DOE surveys about 400 diesel filling stations and 800 gasoline stations to compile national average prices.
