Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 17
U.S. Gas Jumps to $4.44 as Diesel Hits Record $6.40 on Supply Squeeze
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 17

U.S. Gas Jumps to $4.44 as Diesel Hits Record $6.40 on Supply Squeeze

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 17

Summary

  • $4.44 a gallon became the U.S. gasoline average Thursday after a 7-cent overnight jump, while diesel reached a record $6.40 and could climb to $6.60 this weekend.
  • Energy analysts tied the surge to wars involving Iran and Ukraine, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, and reduced refining capacity in the U.S. and abroad.
  • A Chicago-area ExxonMobil refinery outage added pressure in the Midwest, while California diesel averaged $8.35 and state gasoline prices stayed above $6 a gallon.
  • Diesel's rise threatens broader inflation because trucking, rail, construction and heating oil depend on it; about 4 million Northeast households use heating oil derived from diesel.

Insights

With global refineries maxed out and under attack, how soon will record diesel prices trigger severe shortages at your local grocery store?
As drone strikes cripple overseas refineries, could the resulting diesel crisis force a catastrophic collapse of the global freight industry?
Truckers face plunging rates while fuel costs soar; will this unprecedented squeeze silently bankrupt the backbone of our supply chain?