National diesel average falls for 16th consecutive week, reports EIA

The national average price per gallon of diesel gasoline headed down for the 16th consecutive week, according to data issued this week by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Falling 4.3 cents, this week’s national average came in at $2.437, following a 2.7-cent decline the week of April 20 and declines of 4.1 cents, 3.8-cent, 7.3-cents, and 8.1-cents, respectively, over the four-week stretch prior to that.  

Going back to the week of January 13, when the national diesel average was $3.064, diesel prices have fallen a cumulative 62.7 cents through April 20. What’s more, the national weekly average has been below the $3 per gallon mark since the week of February 3, when it was fell to $2.956, following a $3.01 average for the week of January 27.

On an annual basis, this week’s average is down 73.2 cents, topping recent annual spreads of 66.7 cents, 61.1-cents, 54.5 cents, 49.2 cents, and 42.1 cents, respectively, over the previous five weeks.

Recent reports have noted that gasoline could fall below $2 a gallon in the coming weeks, driven by oil prices that are plunging after major producers recently failed to agree to a plan to prop up crude prices earlier this month and by fears of declining energy demand due to economic disruption from the coronavirus. 

Earlier this month, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States reached a deal on the “largest [oil] production cut ever negotiated,” according to a New York Times report. Prior to this deal being reached, Russia and Saudi Arabia had been in a price war, and the U.S.-based oil companies felt the pain in the form of collapsing prices, the report said.

“Before the coronavirus crisis, 100 million barrels of oil each day fueled global commerce, but demand is down about 35 percent,” the report noted. “While significant, the cuts agreed to on Sunday still fall far short of what is needed to bring oil production in line with demand. The plan by OPEC, Russia and other allied producers in a group known as OPEC Plus will slash 9.7 million barrels a day in May and June, or close to 10 percent of the world’s output.”

West Texas Intermediate Crude is currently trading at $13.56 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up from $0.84 a week ago.