Average U.S. price for on-highway diesel fuel for week ending March 19 climbs 2 cents to US$4.14/gallon, up 23 cents from year ago; California average just shy of $4.50/gallon for second straight week

Mathew Kearney

GRAIN VALLEY, Missouri , March 20, 2012 (Land Line Magainze) – The national average price for on highway diesel fuel increased 2 cents for the week ending Monday, March 19. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported the average at $4.142 on Monday, 23 cents higher than the average one year ago.

The average in California hovered just shy of $4.50 per gallon for the second week in a row, 44 cents above the average in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions.

Prices in the Rocky Mountain region increased 5 cents for the week and nearly 14 cents in the past two weeks.

Following are the averages for the week as reported by the EIA:

U.S. – $4.142, up 1.9 cents
East Coast – $4.184, up 1.5 cents
New England – $4.259, up nine-tenths of a cent
Central Atlantic – $4.269, up 2.2 cents
Lower Atlantic – $4.106, up 1 cent
Midwest – $4.040, up 2.4 cents
Gulf Coast – $4.053, up 1.7 cents
Rocky Mountain – $4.119, up 5 cents
West Coast – $4.431, up 1 cent
California – $4.481, down two-tenths of a cent

ProMiles reported the daily average at $4.146 on Monday, up a half-cent overnight. Leading the way was Washington state at $4.527 per gallon, while Indiana had the lowest average at $3.888 including taxes.

Crude oil prices were on the rise Monday according to the New York Mercantile Exchange. Light sweet crude was trading at $108 per barrel, up 94 cents during midday trading.

Oil prices in Europe were above $126 a barrel on reports about a strengthening economy.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.