National diesel average is up for third straight week, for week of October 17, reports EIA

The national average price per gallon for diesel gasoline eked out an increase for the third consecutive week, for the week of October 17, following five straight weeks of declines, according to data issued this week by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).

With a 0.002-cent increase, the national average came in at $5.341 per gallon, following an 11.5-cent increase, to $5.339, for the week of October 10. This followed a 5.3-cent decline, to $4.836. for the week of October 3, a 7.5-cent decline, to $4.889, for the week of September 26 and a 6.9-cent decline, to $4.964, for the week of September 19. Those declines were preceded by a 5.1-cent decline, to $5.033, for the week of September 12. For the week of September 5, the national diesel average dropped 3.1-cents, to $5.084, which was preceded by a 20.6-cent gain, for the week of August 29, to $5.115.

That gain was preceded by nine straight weeks of declines, from the week of June 27 through the week of August 22, which represented a cumulative decline of 87.4 cents.

Compared to the same week a year ago, this week’s diesel average is up $1.628. And West Texas Intermediate Crude oil is currently trading at $85.94 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.