Why Diesel Fuel Is More Expensive Than Gasoline
History has it that the gasoline prices have been higher than the diesel fuel prices. But then again, this does not always hold true. During some winters, the demand for distillate heating oil increases which also raises the price of diesel fuel—so much so that is becomes more expensive than gasoline.
In the United States since September 2004, the price of diesel fuel has been by and large higher than the price of gasoline all year round and this is due to numerous reasons. The worldwide steady increase of demand for diesel fuel and other distillate fuel oils has put pressure on the tight global refining capacity—more so with the strong demand of such products in China, Europe, and the United States.
The transition from low sulfur diesel (LSD) fuel to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel in the United States has affected the diesel fuel production and distribution costs. This is due to the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for diesel fuel sulfur content.
Another reason for this shift in the norm between gasoline and diesel fuel prices is that the federal excise tax on the latter is higher than the tax on gasoline.
The Primary Factors Affecting The Price Of Diesel
Cost and supply of crude oil – The worldwide supply and demand of crude oil determines its price, and the rising demand has put great pressure on the supply. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has all of the spare production capacity and possesses a significant percentage of the world’s crude oil reserves. The prices spike as a response to the disorder in the international and domestic crude oil supply.
Tight refining capacity and international diesel fuel demand – Refineries in the United States have been in operations at around 90-percent capacity. Other countries depend more heavily on distillates and diesel fuel than does United States, thus making the refining capacity tight worldwide. Competing international demand for refined distillates affects the price of diesel fuel in the United States.
Product supply/demand imbalances – The prices of other commodities are more stable as compared to the prices of fuels because of the dependence on petroleum and because there are few alternative fuels in the market. The stocks decline fast if the supply declines unexpectedly. When stocks are low and declining, some players may bid higher for the product. Prices will stay high if the diesel fuel transportation system cannot support the flow of surplus supplies.
Seasonality in the demand for diesel fuel and distillates – The price of diesel fuel slowly rises during the fall, declines in the late winter, rises through the early spring, and then declines in the summer. The demand by farmers during the different seasons creates an upward pressure on the diesel prices.
Transportation costs – The distance between the retail location and distribution terminals and refineries has a direct relationship with the transportation cost—that is, an increase in one increases the other.
Regional operating costs and local competition – Depending on the location of the dealer, the cost of doing business varies which include wages and salaries, benefits, equipment, lease, insurance, overhead, and state and local fees. Even if retail stations are in close proximity to one another, they still have differing costs. Another factor that affects diesel fuel prices is the number and location of the local competitors.
Showing posts with label Gas Prices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gas Prices. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
What Constitutes Diesel Fuel Prices?
Tracing its name from its German inventor, Rudolf Diesel, diesel fuel is what is used in the compression ignition engines of motor vehicles. It is important to a country’s economy, quality of life, and national security. Any fluctuation of its price will have an effect on how people live because of its direct and indirect relationship with the other consumer products. There are different factors that determine diesel fuel prices but first we have to have an understanding of how it is produced and used.
Diesel Fuel Quality and the Environment
From crude oil, there are a lot of products that can be produced. These are gasoline, diesel, other distillates (heating oil), heavy fuel oil (residual), jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), and other products. There are different grades or types of petroleum diesel. The Number 2 type is the main source for motor diesel fuel utilized in the United States. It is the same type used for heating buildings and in the industry.
It has relatively low sulfur content, which is an important characteristic tested for diesel fuels. In 2006, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for diesel fuel sulfur content were implemented. Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel which has a sulfur content of less than 15 parts per million (ppm) had to be sold in the United States, which in turn replaced most of the Low Sulfur Diesel (LSD) fuel.
Diesel engines can be found in nearly all semi-trucks, delivery vehicles, buses, trains, ships, boats and barges, as well as farm, construction and military vehicles and vehicles. Because of this widespread use, people have always been thinking of ways to manufacture products that are safe for the environment. Biodiesel falls under this category and is produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. Its name denotes that it is biodegradable and can lessen vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulates.
Diesel Fuel Production and Delivery
In the United States, most diesel fuel that is consumed is produced in their local refineries. Additionally, a small percentage of fuel is mainly imported from Canada and the Virgin Islands. From both local and imported crude oil, diesel fuel is manufactured by the local refineries and it is transported by pipeline from these refineries and ports to the terminals in close proximity to the main consuming areas. Then it is put in tanker trucks for delivery to retail service stations.
Diesel Fuel Cost Components
Inclusive in the cost to manufacture and transport diesel fuel to the consumers are the costs of crude oil, refinery processing, marketing and distribution, and retail station operation. The costs and profits of the refiners, marketers, distributors, and retail station owners are reflected in the retail pump price. The comparative share of these cost components to the retail price varies over time and among the country’s regions.
The price at the pump also is inclusive of federal, state, and local taxes. In other states, counties, and city governments levy additional taxes. Local market conditions and other factors such as the location and the marketing strategy of the owner are reflected in the retail price as well.
The components of diesel fuel prices can be broken down into the following (from highest to lowest percentage): crude oil, refining, taxes, and distribution and marketing. Knowing this information will give the consumers a clearer picture why the prices are pegged at such and why they fluctuate.
For me, Biodiesel Fuel is the best constitutes for high priced of diesel fuel.
Diesel Fuel Quality and the Environment
From crude oil, there are a lot of products that can be produced. These are gasoline, diesel, other distillates (heating oil), heavy fuel oil (residual), jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), and other products. There are different grades or types of petroleum diesel. The Number 2 type is the main source for motor diesel fuel utilized in the United States. It is the same type used for heating buildings and in the industry.
It has relatively low sulfur content, which is an important characteristic tested for diesel fuels. In 2006, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for diesel fuel sulfur content were implemented. Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel which has a sulfur content of less than 15 parts per million (ppm) had to be sold in the United States, which in turn replaced most of the Low Sulfur Diesel (LSD) fuel.
Diesel engines can be found in nearly all semi-trucks, delivery vehicles, buses, trains, ships, boats and barges, as well as farm, construction and military vehicles and vehicles. Because of this widespread use, people have always been thinking of ways to manufacture products that are safe for the environment. Biodiesel falls under this category and is produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. Its name denotes that it is biodegradable and can lessen vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulates.
Diesel Fuel Production and Delivery
In the United States, most diesel fuel that is consumed is produced in their local refineries. Additionally, a small percentage of fuel is mainly imported from Canada and the Virgin Islands. From both local and imported crude oil, diesel fuel is manufactured by the local refineries and it is transported by pipeline from these refineries and ports to the terminals in close proximity to the main consuming areas. Then it is put in tanker trucks for delivery to retail service stations.
Diesel Fuel Cost Components
Inclusive in the cost to manufacture and transport diesel fuel to the consumers are the costs of crude oil, refinery processing, marketing and distribution, and retail station operation. The costs and profits of the refiners, marketers, distributors, and retail station owners are reflected in the retail pump price. The comparative share of these cost components to the retail price varies over time and among the country’s regions.
The price at the pump also is inclusive of federal, state, and local taxes. In other states, counties, and city governments levy additional taxes. Local market conditions and other factors such as the location and the marketing strategy of the owner are reflected in the retail price as well.
The components of diesel fuel prices can be broken down into the following (from highest to lowest percentage): crude oil, refining, taxes, and distribution and marketing. Knowing this information will give the consumers a clearer picture why the prices are pegged at such and why they fluctuate.
For me, Biodiesel Fuel is the best constitutes for high priced of diesel fuel.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Basic Fact Sheet on Diesel Fuel Prices
As consumers, the basic basket of goods that we often purchase in the course of everyday involves diesel and other fuel products, making us susceptible to the impact of diesel fuel prices. Diesel fuel, gasoline, and oil are used not only in running cars and other transport vehicles, but also are used for cooking, heating the home, and powering diesel-powered equipment like snow-blowers, lawn-mowers, and the like. A huge chunk of expenditure goes to purchasing fuel to run these vital activities, which would justify trying to understand as much as one can about how it is priced and where the product itself is from.
To start with, diesel fuel is one of the refined versions derived from basic crude oil. Other forms of crude oil that results from refining include gasoline and distillate heating oil. This fuel type was named after Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who created ignition engines that make use of diesel fuel.
Diesel petroleum is in fact a distillate of crude oil. While there are many types of distillates that can be derived from crude oil, Number 2 distillate is what is distributed for use in vehicles and equipment in many countries; it is also the same oil base used for distillate heating oils used to heat buildings and run industrial plants.
The chain of processes that create the value inherent in diesel fuel begins from the moment crude oil is purchased. Crude oil, as mentioned previously, is the base ingredient from where diesel fuel is derived. This base ingredient is traded internationally, with price determined by supply and demand dynamics. Crude oil is primarily produced by oil-exporting countries, all of which often belong to big oil cartels that dominate the supply dynamics in the market.
The demand for energy is not limited to the United States, but expands across Europe, China, and India. The thirst for energy for consumption occurs both in the level of industry, as well as individual consumers. On the consumer level, this means that the strong preference for diesel-powered vehicles has led to the need for diesel fuel in order to maintain the operations of these vehicles. In the industry level, expanding economies like China and India, and more stable economies like European ones, all rely on the supply of diesel fuel to run many of their transport sectors and even many of their industries. The high demand from both sectors has driven the prices of diesel fuel up: with limited supply, people use money in order to gain preferential access to the resource.
In addition, governments play a role in determining how diesel fuels arrive at the point of mass consumption. Governments levy hefty taxes on oil refining and distribution companies, many of which already run the regular gas pumping stations. Also, governments have required the reduction of sulphur content in diesel fuel, creating an expensive additional stage in the refining process to reduce sulphur. The additional burden of tax, the cost of operating distribution through gas pumping stations, and the cost of building infrastructure to enable them to comply with government ordinances have driven diesel prices to higher levels even if production costs considerations were ignored.
Knowing these drivers, and just what this resource is all about, allows consumers to better appreciate the dynamics of the energy industry. They will also be able to use their common knowledge of market dynamics in order to predict or protect themselves from diesel fuel prices inflation.
Suggested Reading:
+ Make Biodiesel from Home
+ Procedure to Make Biodiesel Fuel from Used Motor Oil
To start with, diesel fuel is one of the refined versions derived from basic crude oil. Other forms of crude oil that results from refining include gasoline and distillate heating oil. This fuel type was named after Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who created ignition engines that make use of diesel fuel.
Diesel petroleum is in fact a distillate of crude oil. While there are many types of distillates that can be derived from crude oil, Number 2 distillate is what is distributed for use in vehicles and equipment in many countries; it is also the same oil base used for distillate heating oils used to heat buildings and run industrial plants.
The chain of processes that create the value inherent in diesel fuel begins from the moment crude oil is purchased. Crude oil, as mentioned previously, is the base ingredient from where diesel fuel is derived. This base ingredient is traded internationally, with price determined by supply and demand dynamics. Crude oil is primarily produced by oil-exporting countries, all of which often belong to big oil cartels that dominate the supply dynamics in the market.
The demand for energy is not limited to the United States, but expands across Europe, China, and India. The thirst for energy for consumption occurs both in the level of industry, as well as individual consumers. On the consumer level, this means that the strong preference for diesel-powered vehicles has led to the need for diesel fuel in order to maintain the operations of these vehicles. In the industry level, expanding economies like China and India, and more stable economies like European ones, all rely on the supply of diesel fuel to run many of their transport sectors and even many of their industries. The high demand from both sectors has driven the prices of diesel fuel up: with limited supply, people use money in order to gain preferential access to the resource.
In addition, governments play a role in determining how diesel fuels arrive at the point of mass consumption. Governments levy hefty taxes on oil refining and distribution companies, many of which already run the regular gas pumping stations. Also, governments have required the reduction of sulphur content in diesel fuel, creating an expensive additional stage in the refining process to reduce sulphur. The additional burden of tax, the cost of operating distribution through gas pumping stations, and the cost of building infrastructure to enable them to comply with government ordinances have driven diesel prices to higher levels even if production costs considerations were ignored.
Knowing these drivers, and just what this resource is all about, allows consumers to better appreciate the dynamics of the energy industry. They will also be able to use their common knowledge of market dynamics in order to predict or protect themselves from diesel fuel prices inflation.
Suggested Reading:
+ Make Biodiesel from Home
+ Procedure to Make Biodiesel Fuel from Used Motor Oil
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