Petrol, diesel prices rise again amid volatility in oil market

Accordingly, diesel price increased by 30 paise per litre in the national capital to Rs 90.77 per litre on Sunday while petrol price increased by 25 paise per litre to Rs 102.39 a litre, according to Indian Oil Corporation, the country's largest fuel retailer.

Diesel price has now increased on eight days in the last 10 days taking up its retail price by Rs 2.15 per litre in Delhi. Diesel price was raised on Friday by 20 paise per litre and again by 25 paise per litre each on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and by 30 paise per litre on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Petrol prices had maintained stability since September 5, but the oil companies finally raised the pump prices this week given a spurt in the product prices lately. Petrol price has also  risen on five of the previous six days taking up its primo price by Rs 1.20 per litre.

The OMCs had preferred to maintain their watch prices on the global oil situation before making any revision in prices. This is the reason why petrol prices were not revised for the last three weeks. But extreme volatility in the global oil price movement has now pushed OMCs to effect the increase.

The wait and watch plan of OMCs had come to the relief of consumers earlier as no revision came during a period when crude prices were on the rise over a shortfall in US production and inventories and a pick up in  demand. This would have necessitated about Rs 1 increase in price of petrol and diesel.

In Mumbai, the petrol price increased by 25 paise per litre to over Rs 108.50 per litre while diesel rates increased close to Rs 98.50 a litre.

Across the country as well petrol and diesel prices increased between 20-30 paise per litre, but their retail rates varied depending on the level of local taxes in the state.

Fuel prices in the country have been hovering at record levels on account of 41 increases in its retail rates since April this year. It fell on a few occasions but largely remained stable.

After rising over a three year high level of $80 a barrel earlier this week, the global benchmark has now come down to $78 a barrel and now again up to $ 79 a litre. Oil rates are up 2 per cent for the week and this is the fifth weekly gain. Since September 5, when both petrol and diesel prices were revised, the price of petrol and diesel in the international market is higher by around $6-7 per barrel as compared to average prices during August.

Under the pricing formula adopted by oil companies, rates of petrol and diesel are to be reviewed and revised by them on a daily basis. The new prices become effective from morning at 6 a.m.

The daily review and revision of prices is based on the average price of benchmark fuel in the international market in the preceding 15-days, and foreign exchange rates.

But, the fluctuations in global oil prices have prevented OMCs to follow this formula in totality and revisions are now being made with longer gaps. This has also prevented companies from increasing fuel prices whenever there is a mismatch between globally arrived and pump price of fuel.