The national average price per gallon of diesel gasoline, for the week of September 21, dropped for the third straight week and the eighth time in the last nine weeks, according to data issued this week by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Falling 0.018-cents, the average, for the week of September 21, came in at $2.404 per gallon, following a 0.013-cent decrease, to $2.422 per gallon, for the week of September 14, and a 0.006-cent decline, to $2.435 per gallon, for the week of September 7, and a 0.015-cent increase, to $2.441 per gallon, for the week of August 31. That was preceded by a 0.001-cent decrease, for the week of August 24, and a 0.001-cent decline, to $2.427, for the week of August 17. Those two weeks of mild declines were preceded by a 0.004-cent increase, to $2.428 per gallon, for the week of August 10. This followed a 0.03-cent decline to $2.424, for the week of August 3, and a 0.006-cent decline, to 2.427 per gallon, for the week of July 27.
The national diesel average has been below the $3 per gallon mark since the week ending February 2, when it posted an average of $2.956.
On an annual basis, this week’s national average is down 67.7 cents, steeper than the 56.5-cent and 53.6-cent annual spreads, respectively, for the weeks of September 14 and September 7.
West Texas Intermediate Crude is currently trading at $39.80 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.