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Why diesel prices can stay higher even as crude is cheaper
The comparison circulating online that crude is lower today than after Russia’s 2022 invasion does not automatically explain diesel costs, since diesel pricing depends on more than raw crude prices.
OilPrice examines claims circulating on social media that diesel prices are being driven by refiner gouging, pointing to a seemingly simple comparison: crude oil was higher after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 than it is now, yet diesel prices are higher today.
The article says the reasoning often attached to that comparison is that diesel’s main input is crude oil, but it argues that conclusion does not hold up without accounting for other factors that influence diesel prices.
It notes current snapshot price levels for multiple refined and crude benchmarks, including WTI at 94.44 and Brent at 106.4, alongside gasoline and heating oil prices, as part of the context for why consumers may be seeing higher diesel-related costs despite lower crude versus 2022.
OilPrice attributes the discussion to energy-industry engineer Robert Rapier and frames the piece as a response to the “plausible” but incomplete narrative about what drives diesel pricing.
Latest closeWTI crude $95.27 ▲3.4%|Brent $100.98 ▼2.0%|Gasoline (RBOB) $3.379 ▼5.8%