December 1, 2023

Gasoline costs are on the rise as excessive temperatures hamper refinery manufacturing and demand stays elevated.

Costs are nonetheless properly beneath the place they have been a yr in the past. Nevertheless, the nationwide common value for a gallon of normal gasoline hovered at $3.82 on Thursday, up 11 cents from per week in the past and up almost 30 cents from a month in the past, in response to information from AAA. One yr in the past, the nationwide common sat at $4.16.

The price of crude oil, which accounts for almost half of what customers pay on the pump, shot up $11 per barrel during the last month, Lipow Oil Associates President Andy Lipow stated. 

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As an example, on June 26, costs have been at $69.37. As of Thursday, they’re round $80, which “is equal to a 26 cent per gallon rise in gasoline uncooked materials prices,” Lipow instructed FOX Enterprise. 

He blamed the uptick partially on the warmth index. In extraordinarily sizzling temperatures, refineries “should minimize their manufacturing charges and that impacts gasoline and diesel provide,” Lipow stated. 

Gasoline costs at a Shell fuel station in Hercules, California, on Might 23, 2023. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos / Getty Photos)

At first, “refineries boil the crude oil into numerous fractions which might be then upgraded at a wide range of processing items into gasoline, jet gasoline and diesel gasoline,” in response to Lipow. Nevertheless, in some unspecified time in the future, that oil will must be cooled down. 

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“The warmer it’s outdoors, the more durable it’s to chill it down and have the tools working correctly,” he stated. 

Refineries in Southern Europe, Greece and Italy have additionally been affected by sizzling climate. Which means that once they course of much less crude oil, much less gasoline is accessible for export to the U.S. 

Lipow additionally identified that a number of refineries on the Gulf, East and West Coasts had unscheduled outages, which additional limits provide. 

gas station in Brooklyn

Gasoline costs at a Mobil station on June 12, 2023, within the Brooklyn borough of New York Metropolis. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos / Getty Photos)

“Some refineries additionally depend upon their native utilities for electrical energy. If these utilities journey offline, the refineries can lose energy and that impacts gasoline and diesel provide,” Lipow added. 

Provide points do not seem like easing both, all whereas demand is up in contrast with a yr in the past, in response to the Power Info Administration (EIA). Demand is up 3% in contrast with a yr in the past, in response to EIA information. 

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Since October 2022, OPEC+ introduced substantial manufacturing cuts from its quota that equate to greater than 5 million barrels per day. 

In the meantime, 450,000 barrels per day of Kurdish oil has been taken off the market because the finish of March on account of disputes between the Kurds and the Turkish authorities, in response to Lipow.