Oil prices have surged, with benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude jumping from an average $71 per barrel in December 2021 to $109 in May 2022. U.S. inventories of gasoline and diesel are running low and refining capacity is strained, while export demand remains strong. Gasoline and diesel prices in the U.S. are at record levels on a nominal (non-inflation-adjusted) basis (Charts 1, 2). Much market commentary has focused on oil prices remaining far from record levels in real (inflation-adjusted) terms. WTI oil prices averaged $128 per barrel in July 2008, which in real terms is $169 today. However, consumers ... (full story)