Diesel price flat

The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel fell for the tenth straight week, but the drop announced by the U.S. Dept. of Energy yesterday, a thousandth of a cent, shows signs that the days of temporary relief for truckers may end soon. The average price of $1.347 is down ever so slightly from the previous week, but is down 3.3 cents from July 16. OPEC announced last week that it will lower its production by a million gallons a day beginning in September, and several U.S. refiners are scheduling midsummer maintenance or reducing crude runs. Analysts say these factors will most likely bring a slight rise in the price of diesel fuel. While seven regions saw the price fall, two – the Lower Atlantic and Midwest – saw the price slightly rise. The Lower Atlantic rose from $1.309 to $1.311, while the Midwest went from $1.321 to $1.332. The Lower Atlantic still has the lowest average price per gallon in the U.S.