DOE Diesel Falls 14.7 Cents to $6.382, Crude Down 10-12% on the Week

The DOE number fell 14.7 cents to $6.382/gal for the week of September 28, per EIA's weekly on-highway diesel price survey. At the stated 6.5 mpg reference, that works out to 98.2 cents a mile of fuel. The week's move trims about $11.31 from the fuel cost of a 500-mile haul, and the index sits 70% above the five-year median.

• Gulf Coast (PADD 3): $5.955/gal, down 4% week over week from the prior week's reading per EIA's weekly survey. The week's sharpest regional decline, at 74% above the five-year median.
• Rocky Mountain (PADD 4): $6.407/gal, up 1% week over week. The only region to gain on the week, running 72% above the five-year median.
• Crude oil: Brent dropped 12% to $114.89/bbl and WTI dropped 10% to $96.41/bbl on the week per EIA's daily spot series as of September 22. Crude is roughly half the cost of a gallon at the pump and reaches retail with a lag of days to weeks.
• California: $8.181/gal, 64% above the five-year median. The highest single-region price in EIA's survey.
• West-vs-Gulf spread: The West Coast (PADD 5) at $7.357/gal runs 140.2 cents/gal over the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) at $5.955/gal per EIA's regional survey. The widest structural gap on the national map.

EIA's daily spot series showed New York Harbor ULSD at $5.007/gal and Gulf Coast ULSD at $4.992/gal as of September 22. Both are untaxed bulk wholesale prices. The gap between either hub price and the Monday retail number reflects fuel taxes and the full cost of the retail layer, not a station's margin.