U.S. Diesel Prices Hit Record High, Surging to Rp 112,000 per Gallon

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The average retail price of diesel fuel in the United States reached 6.29 U.S. dollars per gallon, equivalent to approximately Rp 112,038 per gallon (assuming an exchange rate of Rp 17,812 per U.S. dollar) on September 14, 2026.

For reference, one gallon equals 3.78 liters.

According to an analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released Friday (September 18, 2026), this diesel price is the highest nominal figure since the EIA began publishing diesel price data series in 1994.

SHUTTERSTOCK Fuel illustration.

Adjusted for inflation, the diesel price also represents the highest level since 2022.

The EIA explained that diesel prices are influenced by several components, including crude oil prices, retail margins, distribution costs, taxes, and the price differential known as the crack spread, which serves as an indicator of refining margins converting crude oil into products such as gasoline and diesel.

"The price of distillate fuel oil, commonly sold as diesel, is affected by crude oil prices, retail margins, distribution costs, taxes, and the price differential (crack spread)," the EIA wrote in its analysis.

The agency noted that recent rises in diesel prices have occurred amid tightening global distillate fuel supplies and persistently high crude oil prices.

This situation is reflected in the elevated diesel crack spread. The EIA clarified that crack spread measures refinery profitability in processing crude oil into petroleum products like gasoline and diesel.

For diesel, the EIA calculates the crack spread by subtracting the crude oil spot price per gallon from the wholesale diesel price per gallon.

Fuel illustration. (ABC/Nic MacBean). The official government policy to raise the price of non-subsidized Pertamax fuel effective Wednesday (June 10, 2026) immediately sparked deep concern among communities in Tuban Regency, East Java.

The higher the crack spread, the greater the margin between refined product prices and their raw materials.

When refined product supplies are tight, rising crack spreads can boost refining margins and subsequently push retail diesel prices higher.

Global Diesel Supply Tightens

One of the key factors driving diesel prices in the U.S. is the state of the global distillate fuel supply.

The EIA observed that global supplies of distillate fuels, including diesel, have tightened due to decreased refining activity in Russia, China, and the Middle East.

Declining distillate production in these countries has caused refined petroleum product prices to increase on the international market, which in turn has raised the cost of diesel imports into the U.S.

At the same time, rising international prices have boosted demand for U.S. diesel exports.