RSS feed source: US Energy Information Administration
In-brief analysis
September 18, 2026
The price of distillate fuel oil, often sold as diesel, is driven by the price of crude oil, retail margins, distribution costs, taxes, and crack spreads, the indicator we use for refining margins. Tight global supplies of distillate fuel oil and elevated crude oil prices have driven prices higher in recent months.
Crack spreads are indicators of the profitability of refining crude oil into petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel and are used as a proxy for refinery margins. We calculate the diesel crack spread by subtracting the spot market price of a gallon of crude oil from the wholesale price of a gallon of diesel. The high crack spread for diesel on top of the elevated price of a barrel of crude oil has driven retail prices up. High
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