Petrol and diesel prices in Delhi today touched a 4-year high after oil prices in the international market reached their highest level in three years. Today's petrol price in Delhi was Rs 74.08 per litre, highest in last four years. Diesel price in the national capital has gone up by 4 paise to Rs 65.31.
The oil prices in India have been rising for last few weeks. On Thursday, petrol and diesel prices were hiked by 5 paise and 7 paise respectively. Yesterday, the price of petrol in Delhi rose to Rs 74.07 per litre while that of diesel went up to Rs 66.27 per litre.
Today's petrol price in Kolkata was Rs 76.78, in Mumbai Rs 81.93 and in Chennai Rs 76.85.
India imports 80 per cent of its crude oil requirement and any increase in prices in the global market leads to an increase in the price of petrol, diesel and LPG. Higher fuel prices are pushing up inflation at a time when prices of food items such as pulses have come down.
Oil prices in the international market on Thursday jumped to three-years high as US crude inventories declined and the world's top exporter Saudi Arabia pushes for higher prices by continuing to curtail supplies. Brent crude oil futures rallied as high as USD 74.02 a barrel, the strongest since November 27, 2014.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries or OPEC and its partners in a supply reduction pact will meet today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. OPEC will then meet on June 22 to review its oil production policy.
OPEC and other major producers including Russia started to withhold output in 2017 to rein in oversupply that had depressed prices since 2014.