Source: EIA

Source: EIA

The average price of a gallon of on-highway diesel fuel showed only a slight fluctuation for the week,  barely extending a 12-week streak of dropping prices, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Energy Department.

The price of diesel fuel dropped 0.2 cents nationally to an average of $2.615 per gallon. Prices are still much lower than last year; this week’s numbers represent a $1.22 drop from the same week in 2014.

Regional prices were down in most places, with only the Midwest market showing a slight increase during the week. The price rose 2.4 cents in the Midwest to $2.539 per gallon. The largest drop in prices was found in the New England region, falling 4.4 cents to $2.803 per gallon.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline broke ranks with diesel fuel, jumping up by 8.7 cents for the week to $2.716 per gallon.

Regional prices were up and down for the week, with a 31-cent per gallon increase in the Midwest causing the overall average increase in gasoline prices. This was offset somewhat by 4-cent decreases along the north and central portions of the East Coast.

The large jump in gas prices in the Midwest is due to the partial shutdown of a BP refinery in Indiana, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The shutdown was blamed on problems with the facilities crude distillation unit causing a 30- to 50-cent jump in places like Minnesota and Michigan.

Crude oil prices have continued to fall, with per barrel prices in the U.S. hitting a six-year low. A continuing concern that the global market would remain oversupplied through the end of the year has influenced low oil prices this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Originally posted on Trucking Info

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