1. Distribution Costs, Marketing Costs and Profits includes costs associated with the distribution from terminals to stations and retailing of gasoline, including but not limited to: franchise fees, and/or rents, wages, utilities, supplies, equipment maintenance, environmental fees, licenses, permitting fees, credit card fees, insurance, depreciation, advertising and profit. This component normally lags changes in the wholesale price of gasoline. This component includes the revenues to dealers, wholesale marketers, jobbers, retail and marketing divisions of integrated oil companies. The distribution costs, marketing costs and profits (not a dealer margin calculation) displayed in the table below are not representative of dealers who purchase their gasoline at prices similar to Dealer Tank Wagon (DTW). The component is calculated as the difference between the average retail price of gasoline from the U.S. Depart of Energy's Energy Information Administration's (EIA) weekly survey less taxes, crude oil costs and refinery margin.


2. Refinery Cost and Profits includes all non-crude oil costs associated with refining and terminal operation, crude oil processing, oxygenate additives, product shipment and storage, oil spill fees, depreciation, purchases of gasoline to cover refinery shortages, brand advertising and profits. The component is calculated as the difference between the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) average rack price of gasoline and crude oil cost.


3. Crude Oil Cost is the Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil price per gallon. In order to report in a timely manner, this value is used as a proxy for California composite refinery acquisition cost.


4. Estimated Components of Branded Gasoline are calculated using the average statewide OPIS branded rack price. Most branded franchisees purchase gasoline at a delivered price called the Dealer Tank Wagon (DTW) that is typically higher than the branded rack price.


5. Estimated Components of Unbranded Gasoline are calculated using the average statewide OPIS unbranded rack price.


6. Values reported by the Energy Commission are not directly comparable to EIA-reported margins because of differences in definitions and methodologies.


7. Retail price is the statewide retail price of gasoline from EIA's weekly survey.

Page Updated: March 5, 2003