The average retail price of regular gasoline decreased two cents to $3.59 per gallon as of September 9, 2013, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That price is 26 cents lower than last year at this time, according to the Sept. 11 issue of the EIA’s This Week in Petroleum. Prices were up five cents on the West Coast to $3.80 per gallon; Rocky Mountain prices added half a cent but remained $3.63 per gallon. The largest decrease came in the Midwest, where prices fell six cents to $3.57 per gallon. On the Gulf Coast, the price was $3.38 per gallon, three cents lower than last week. The East Coast price dropped two cents to $3.59 per gallon.
The national average diesel fuel price was unchanged from last week at $3.98 per gallon, 15 cents lower than last year at this time. The East Coast price decreased half a cent, but remained $3.99 per gallon. The Midwest and Rocky Mountain prices both lost less than a penny to $3.96 per gallon and $3.93 per gallon, respectively. After increasing one cent, the West Coast price was $4.14 per gallon. The Gulf Coast price increased a tenth of a cent to remain $3.90 per gallon.
Total U.S. inventories of propane decreased by 0.1 million barrels last week to end at 64.5 million barrels, about 8.2 million barrels (11.3%) lower than the same week last year. Midwest stocks experienced an unseasonal decline of 0.3 million barrels last week. Rocky Mountain/West Coast inventories gained 0.1 million barrels, while the East Coast and Gulf Coast regions were up slightly. Propylene non-fuel-use inventories represented 4.6% of total propane inventories.
