DOE Diesel Up 19.7 Cents to $5.454, All Regions Higher

EIA's on-highway diesel survey for the week of August 17 puts the DOE number at $5.454/gal, up 19.7 cents from last week. At the stated 6.5 mpg reference, that is 83.9 cents a mile of fuel cost, and the weekly move adds about $15.15 to the fuel bill on a 500-mile haul. The index is now 47% above its 5-year median for this calendar week.

• Midwest (PADD 2): $5.435/gal, up 5% week over week from last week's reading, the largest gain of any PADD in EIA's survey. Now 47% above the 5-year median for this calendar week.
• Gulf Coast (PADD 3): $5.237/gal, up 4% on the week. Sits near the low end of the national map, but 56% above its 5-year median, the widest deviation of any region in the survey.
• West Coast vs. Gulf Coast: The West Coast (PADD 5) at $6.203/gal sits 96.6 cents/gal over the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) at $5.237/gal, per EIA's survey.
• California: $6.785/gal, up 3% on the week and 39% above its 5-year median for this calendar week.
• Crude oil: EIA's daily spot series through August 11 shows WTI (Cushing) at $84.77/bbl, up 9.6% on the week, and Brent (Europe) at $93.26/bbl, up 8%. Both moved in the same direction as the pump this week. Crude is roughly half the cost of a gallon of diesel and reaches the pump with a lag of days to weeks.

On the wholesale side, EIA's daily ULSD spot series through August 11 shows New York Harbor at $4.325/gal and the Gulf Coast hub at $4.248/gal. Those are untaxed bulk prices, not what a driver pays at the pump. The retail survey is dated August 17, six days after the most recent spot read.