Pohnpei, FSM-Executives at Micronesia Petroleum Company, also known as PetroCorp have said over and over again that they constantly compare the average price of fuel in Guam as a performance bench mark for their pricing structures in the FSM. These days, perhaps it is a good thing that they didn't choose to compare their prices to those of Pennsylvania or Washington D.C. or worse still, Darwin, Australia. Currently some places in the United States have fuel prices that are actually higher than in Pohnpei.
I conducted a very informal, completely nonscientific, and accidental survey of friends living in various cities in the United States and in Australia in which I asked what they are currently paying for gasoline. Friends from many cities responded.
The lowest price of those I received was in Austin, Texas, USA where that friend is currently paying $3.67 per gallon. In Lombard, Illinois, USA the price was $4.28. My brother, who lives in South Central Pennsylvania, said that he is currently paying 30 cents more per gallon than we are paying in Pohnpei at $4.85 per gallon. South Central Washington State reported prices of $3.73 to $4.01 per gallon. Of course there's the picture of the gas station sign (above left) from one service station in the capital city of Washington D.C. that shows the price at $4.99. None of my friends from D.C. responded to my little informal survey and in fact a gas price comparison website showed that fuel can be purchased in the Washington D.C. area for less than Pohnpei's price at press time.
Another friend reported that he heard on the news that one gas station near the airport in Orlando, Florida was charging $5.69 per gallon and that takes us up to the price level of the two respondents living in the wide open spaces of Australia. Tasmania reported prices of $1.49 per liter which at today's exchange rate is $6.11 USD per gallon. Darwin reported prices of $1.51 per liter or $6.20 USD per gallon.