Diesel Surges 6.6¢ to $3.066 a Gallon
Diesel’s national average price continued its upward trend as it jumped 6.6 cents to $3.066 a gallon, while gasoline saw its biggest gain in almost a year, rising 8.7 cents to $2.819, the Department of Energy reported.
The diesel spike followed last week’s 4.9-cent increase, putting the two-week increase at 11.5 cents and leaving the price 46.6 cents over the same week last year, DOE said Tuesday.
This week’s increase was the biggest in six months, since a 7.6-cent jump on April 5 pushed trucking’s main fuel over $3 for the first time this year, to $3.015 a gallon.
Diesel held over $3 from early April through late May, and last week’s $3 average was the first time it had hit that level since then.
Gasoline, meanwhile, saw its biggest increase since it rose a dime on Oct. 26 of last year, and left the price 33 cents higher than a year ago, according to DOE figures.
The pump-price gains followed increases in oil prices, which have been rising steadily to climb past $80 a barrel in the past few weeks, according to Bloomberg News figures.
Crude futures closed on the New York Mercantile Exchange at more than $81 a barrel every day last week for the first time since late April.
Oil fell 54 cents on the Nymex Tuesday to finish the trading day at $81.67 a barrel, Bloomberg reported.
Each week, DOE surveys about 350 diesel filling stations to compile a national snapshot average price.
This week’s survey was released on Tuesday due to the Columbus Day federal holiday on Monday.
