U.S. Diesel Price Rises First Time in Nine Weeks

The U.S. average retail price for diesel fuel rose Monday for the first time in nine weeks, increasing 1.2 cents to 139.1 cents per gallon from 137.9 on March 26, the Energy Department reported.

This week’s price rose in most U.S. regions except the Rocky Mountain area, where it barely edged downward.

The last time the price rose was the during the week of Jan. 29, when the price gained 1.1 cents.

The U.S. Energy Information Agency surveys 350 fueling stations at the start of each week, and reports the results late on the same day that it polls the stations.

Diesel prices had been rising almost steadily from March 1999 to mid-October of last year, Transport Topics has reported.

In that period, the average price went from 99 cents a gallon to 167, putting enormous pressure on fuel-thirsty trucking companies.

Now, amid slack demand a weak global economy, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has again cut production of crude oil to drive prices higher and this has finally started to show up in the price for diesel.

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