A 20-cent reduction in the price of diesel per liter, introduced late Thursday, October 15, is now reflected in prices displayed at several gas stations in downtown Casablanca. The relief for motorists remains limited, however, after several weeks of consecutive increases.
A survey of several stations found that Afriquia was selling diesel at MAD 15.90 per liter and gasoline at MAD 15.59. At Shell and Petromin Oil, diesel was priced at MAD 15.95 per liter, while gasoline cost MAD 15.63. Winxo had the highest prices in the survey, at MAD 16.15 per liter for diesel and MAD 15.62 for gasoline.
Diesel therefore remains more expensive than gasoline, with the gap ranging from 31 to 53 cents per liter depending on the brand. Thursday night’s reduction has not eliminated the price difference between the two fuels.
The latest adjustment follows six consecutive diesel price increases since mid-July. Prices rose by 69 cents in mid-July, MAD 1 in early August, 65 cents in mid-August, 6 cents on September 1, 34 cents on September 16 and 80 cents in early October.
Read also : After six hikes, diesel prices to fall by 20 centimes per liter Thursday night
The reduction comes against the backdrop of new developments in the international Russian diesel market. On October 9, the US administration authorized certain transactions involving the sale, delivery and import of Russian-origin diesel under a general license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Moscow partially eased its restrictions on diesel exports starting October 10. The Kremlin said Russian diesel was once again reaching international markets, while acknowledging that the resumption alone would not be enough to fully stabilize oil markets.
A tanker carrying around 40,000 tons of ultra-low-sulfur Russian diesel is currently heading to Morocco. According to LSEG shipping data cited by Reuters, the cargo was loaded on October 13 at the Russian port of Primorsk on the Baltic Sea.
Houcine El Yamani, secretary general of the National Oil and Gas Union, affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), said the shipment would cover only a small fraction of Morocco’s needs.
“This quantity will cover Morocco’s needs for no more than three days. The country consumes more than 6 million tons of diesel a year, averaging 16,000 tons a day and around half a million tons a month,” he said.
