The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission announced today the following petroleum pricing decisions, effective June 1, 2008:
• Gasoline prices will increase by 2.0 cents per litre (cpl);
• Furnace oil and stove oil prices will increase by 1.5 cpl;
• Diesel prices will increase by 1.5 cpl; and
• Propane prices will increase by 2.3 cpl for Superior Propane and by 5.0 cpl for Irving Oil Marketing Limited.
Including taxes and a previously scheduled increase in dealer margin, pump prices for regular unleaded gasoline at self-serve outlets will now range from 131.8 cpl to 133.9 cpl.
Global crude futures markets continue to be best described as volatile. Seasonal demand, geo-political risks, the fluctuating value of the U.S. dollar and speculative activities all continued to influence the trading value of crude over the past two weeks. Renewed violence in Nigeria and increased Chinese demand for diesel resulting from the aftermath of that country’s earthquake disasters served to provide a sustained upward pressure on refined products in particular. While demand for petroleum products in the U.S. and Canada is being affected by high prices, overall global demand from China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East continues to grow.
The Commission’s next scheduled price adjustment will be on June 15, 2008.