FuelBrief

U.S. fuel market snapshot

Oil and fuel prices,
without the noise.

A simple view of what gasoline, diesel and crude oil are doing — and the supply changes that help explain why.

Demo data · Last updated Sep 17, 2026

Prices

What consumers are paying

National averages and benchmark crude prices.

Regular gasoline
$4.32/gal
↑ 16¢ this week
U.S. average
Diesel
$4.58/gal
↑ 9¢ this week
U.S. average
WTI crude
$91.42/bbl
↑ 4.3% this week
U.S. benchmark
Brent crude
$95.08/bbl
↑ 3.8% this week
Global benchmark
Regular gasoline

$4.32 per gallon

U.S. average retail price

1 month+51¢
1 year+37¢
52-week low$3.28
52-week high$4.39

Supply & refining

The numbers behind the pump

Supply changes often explain more than the headline oil price alone.

Crude inventories
418.7M bbl
↓ 2.4M this week
Gasoline inventories
219.4M bbl
↓ 3.1M this week
Refinery utilization
92.8%
↓ 1.2 pts
U.S. oil production
13.5M bbl/day
→ Flat this week
01

Gasoline supply tightened

Inventories fell 3.1 million barrels. When supplies shrink while demand remains steady, wholesale and retail prices can face upward pressure.

02

Refineries eased back

Utilization slipped to 92.8%. A lower run rate can mean less gasoline and diesel entering the market in the short term.

03

Production remains high

Domestic crude production is holding near recent highs, helping offset some of the pressure from tighter commercial inventories.

Explainer

How a barrel becomes a gallon

A simplified view of the path from crude oil to the price sign at a gas station.

1
Crude oil
$91.42/bbl

The raw commodity. One barrel contains 42 U.S. gallons.

2
Refining
92.8%

Refineries convert crude into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products.

3
Wholesale
$2.84/gal

Finished fuel is sold into regional wholesale markets before distribution.

4
Retail
$4.32/gal

Taxes, transport, storage and retail margins are reflected at the pump.

Quick calculator

How much crude oil is in a gallon?

Enter a crude-oil price to see the simple barrel-to-gallon equivalent. This is not the final gasoline price.

$
Raw crude equivalent$2.18/gal
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