I’ve never seen anywhere near this gap between E10 and ULSD. It’s nearly $1.50. I've had a hard time understanding it as well. I can understand some difference, especially considering how heating oil has an effect on diesel prices this time of the year.
I have searched for articles discussing this for some time. I have not found anything of substantial comparison.
The stocks levels explain the pricing.
But I don't understand the cause for the stock level differences.
Click the charts for the data sources. Distillates demand is about steady while gasoline is rising. Production for both are about steady. Net imports seem to be steady...
The spread between gasoline and diesel has been hard / impossible to explain for several years now. They were once pretty close together. As a member of the oil and gas community I am embarrassed by it since it does not have any real rational explanation. Diesel does have a higher BTU content but that does not explain the difference. With the high supply of near condensate shale oil diesel should be plentiful and relatively cheap. It is very easy to refine. Even the low sulfur does not explain the price difference and the additional tax on diesel does not either.
I see as much as a dollar spread.
I also saw diesel prices range from 3.25 to 2.45 on US 69/75 from Houston to W. Arkansas.