The national average price for diesel fuel climbed to $6.40 per gallon on Sept 17, a first for the US market. Price records were broken in 44 states, accompanied by fuel shortages at some stations in North Texas, Orlando, and California. National averages reached $6.43 per gallon by the evening, with local prices in California peaking at $8.49.

US refineries maintained the highest diesel production run rates in 22 years to capture overseas demand resulting from two wars. This prioritization reduced domestic gasoline supplies and pushed the cost of aromatic blending components like ethylbenzene to a record 503 cents per gallon on Sept 8. The US diesel crack spread hit a record high above $111 per barrel, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve dropped to its lowest level since 1982.