Comparing Marine diesel and Jet fuel prices‏

There are other things that could be blogged on, but this issue has come up over on the Los Angeles Times travel blog today. Marine diesel fuel (MDO) and jet fuel prices are comparable, esp. by the metric ton, but also even by the gallon at retail.

People have not been making the comparison, but HSF runs 4 diesel engines with Rolls-Royce waterjets. The largest interisland air carrier here Hawaiian Air runs Boeing 717's with 2 Rolls-Royce jet engines, verified with one of Hawaiian Air's engineers today. The detailed calculations have been done before on this blog, that Hawaiian Air is at least twice as fuel efficient as HSF moving the same number of people interisland on the same route, regardless of whether this is reflected yet in HSF's pricing.

Beyond this comparison, what has happened to jet fuel prices ultimately is going to have dramatic affect on tourism, the visitor industry, and eventually the whole economy here in Hawaii over the coming year/s, and HSF doesn't offer any respite to that at all. Setting that aside, I found the following interesting sources comparing marine diesel fuel to jet fuel today:

They are both about the same price. Click on and scroll down the chart links below for both. It is amazing, both have about quadrupled in price since 2000.

Marine Diesel (MDO) per metric ton spot: http://www.bunkerworld.com/markets/prices/

Marine Diesel per metric ton in North America spot: http://www.bunkerindex.com/prices/namerica.php

Marine Diesel per gallon monthly in Alaska: http://www.psmfc.org/efin/data/fuel_ak.txt
Marine Diesel per gallon monthly in Wash: http://www.psmfc.org/efin/data/fuel_wa.txt
Marine Diesel per gallon monthly in Oregon: http://www.psmfc.org/efin/data/fuel_or.txt
Marine Diesel per gallon monthly in Calif: http://www.psmfc.org/efin/data/fuel_ca.txt

Jet fuel per gallon in west Pacific spot: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/rjetsin5d.htm

Jet fuel per gallon in east Pacific spot: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/rjetlad.htm

Jet fuel per metric ton average spot: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/economics/fuel_monitor/index.htm

Jet fuel recent price history desc.: http://www.fxstreet.com/fundamental/analysis-reports/jet-fuel-to-hedge-or-not-to-hedge-part-two/

Jet fuel price graph up to Jan. 2008: http://www.bts.gov/publications/white_house_economic_statistics_briefing_room/may_2008/html/domestic_airline_jet_fuel.html

Aloha, Brad