Motorists will need to fish for pocket change once more, as fuel prices are set to climb by more than a peso this week.
Starting Tuesday, Nov. 18, gasoline and diesel prices will increase by ₱1.20 per liter, while kerosene will see no price change.
Seaoil, Shell Pilipinas, and Petro Gazz are set to adjust their prices at 6 a.m., while Cleanfuel will increase its petroleum rates by 4:01 p.m.
Increase in demand, refinery maintenance, and the end of the United States (US) government shutdown have likely pushed prices up.
Analysts earlier attributed the movements to the end of the 43-day US government shutdown, signaling a possible rise in economic activities, which, in turn, boosts the demand for fuel.
On top of this, Russian sanctions, downstream facility works, as well as recent geopolitical clashing between Ukraine and Russia have impacted Tuesday’s price adjustments.
Last week, ING Economics noted that middle distillate stocks in Singapore, including diesel and kerosene, had declined, putting upward pressure on this week’s fuel prices.
However, a recent Reuters report said that oil prices eased in Asian trade after production resumed in Russia’s key export hub, which had been suspended for two days following an incident in Black Sea.
US crude oil inventories also increased by 6.4 million barrels last week, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), as refiners offset weaker exports in the previous week by increasing their production.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) also projected growth in the global oil market, which could climb by 3.1 million barrels per day (b/d) this year, and 2.5 million b/d next year.