Gasoline prices expected to go up, diesel down next week
At a Quezon City gas station, a pump attendant fills a car's fuel tank.
Motorists may face a fuel price shake-up next week, with gasoline expected to rise amid strong demand, while diesel may see a rollback due to growing supply.
Based on the four-day Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), gasoline per liter may increase somewhere between ₱0.40 and ₱0.60, while diesel could experience a ₱0.70- to ₱0.90-per-liter drop.
Kerosene could also cut back on prices by more or less ₱1 per liter.
If these adjustments are realized by next week, diesel and kerosene may experience back-to-back weekly price slashes.
These price forecasts, according to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB), are based on aggressive supply growth, weaker global demand projections, and easing trade tensions.
According to OIMB Director Rodela Romero on Friday, Aug. 15, oil-producing nations belonging to OPEC+ are expected to drive the overall inventory build, which signals aggressive supply growth. Despite this, she cited that there is also a “weaker global demand outlook by US IEA [the United States International Energy Agency].”
Besides this, diesel prices are positive for another week of rollback, as Jetti Petroleum Inc. President Leo Bellas cited lower demand.
“MOPS prices have see-sawed during the first four trading days of the week, with diesel declining as demand appeared to be slowing down amid rising product availability, while gasoline remaining strong as the seasonal summer demand continue to rise,” he explained.
Potential price declines may also be influenced by ongoing peace talks between the US and Russia, as Bellas noted that easing sanctions on Russia could happen if a ceasefire or peace deal is reached during the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The uncertainty of the US-Russia peace talks that could affect Russian oil exports continues to add a bullish risk premium, given that Russia and buyers of Russian oil could face more economic pressure should a deal doesn’t happen,” Bellas elaborated.
“Bearish inventory and supply data, and worries of declining demand have also weighed on prices, with US crude and diesel inventories rising more than expected,” he added.
What kept prices from falling further, however, was easing trade tensions between the US and China. Additionally, the Jetti president noted the renewed demand optimism driven by the possibility of a US interest rate cut in September.