crude oil prices have a major influence on the fuel price for the consumer indeed in the united states crude oil constitutes of the price of a gallon of regular gasoline where refining only costs distribution and marketing and taxes gas prices are more complex since there exist three regional gas markets north america europe and asia with strong historical relations due to the pipeline infrastructure on these continents at the same time a new type of gas transportation is rapidly accelerating liquefied natural gas lng which can be shipped over long distances albeit only with specially equipped tankers since it requires constant cooling at minus c usually the longterm price of gas is indexed to oil product prices and consequently follows its volatility