TOKYO (MNI) – The average price of regular gasoline in Japan this
week stood at Y132.3 ($1.62) per liter, or $6.16 per gallon, being
unchanged for the second week in a row after posting the second straight
weekly rise, according to data released by the Oil Information Center on
Wednesday.

The price was up by 4.2% from Y127.0 per liter marked a year
earlier.

Retail gasoline prices were on a general upward trend from
mid-January 2009 until May 31, 2010, when they began to ease until the
recent pickup.

This week, the average price of high-octane gasoline stood at
Y143.0 per liter, down slightly from Y143.1 last week. It hit the record
high of Y196.0 on Aug. 4, 2008.

The average price of diesel oil stood at Y112.6 per liter this
week, unchanged from the previous week. It compared with the record high
of Y167.4 hit on Aug. 4, 2008.

The average over-the-counter price of kerosene for heating stood at
Y1,388 per 18 liters, unchanged from the previous week. It posted a
record high of Y2,378 on Aug. 11, 2008.

The average home-delivery kerosene price this week was at Y1,505
per 18 liters, unchanged from the previous week. It hit a record high of
Y2,484 on Aug. 11, 2008.

tokyo@marketnews.com
** Market News International Tokyo Newsroom: 81-3-3221-9508 **

[TOPICS: M$J$$$,M$A$$$,MAJDS$]