Gas prices jumped overnight in five states after trouble at an ExxonMobil refinery in Illinois, according to an energy analyst.
Thanks to a problematic 50,000 b/d catalytic reformer at XOM Joliet, gas prices are spiking in some Great Lakes' states. Price increases of around 2.5cts/gal IL; 8cts/gal IN; 6.5cts/gal KY; 17cts/gal MI; and 10cts/gal OH overnight. More incoming hikes today.
— Tom Kloza (@TomKloza) October 22, 2026
A catalytic reformer is a refinery unit that turns low-octane fuel into higher-octane material for gasoline, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The problem at Joliet shows that American refining is in a "zero tolerance" era, Kloza said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Thanks to a problematic 50,000 b/d catalytic reformer at XOM Joliet, gas prices are spiking in some Great Lakes' states. Price increases of around 2.5cts/gal IL; 8cts/gal IN; 6.5cts/gal KY; 17cts/gal MI; and 10cts/gal OH overnight. More incoming hikes today.
— Tom Kloza (@TomKloza) October 22, 2026
ExxonMobil did not immediately respond to the DCNF's request for comment. (RELATED: Trump's Energy Chief Wants To Reopen 'Every Refinery We Can' To Make More Fuel)
An ExxonMobil spokesperson told CNN in a statement that the company is "working to resolve an operational issue" at the refinery but did not give a timeline for a fix.
Kloza said further price hikes at gas stations are almost certain but that the spike should not last. Wholesale prices in the region climbed another 25 cents a gallon later Thursday morning, he said.
"While I do not believe these crazy numbers can be sustained, they are pointing to $5/gallon prices in many cases," Kloza added.
Prices in Michigan rose faster than in other states because wholesale gas on the Wolverine Pipeline is selling at the highest price, Kloza said. That pipeline brings gasoline into Michigan from refineries elsewhere in the Great Lakes region. He also pointed to some modest maintenance at a refinery in Ohio run by Cenovus as a factor in the jump.
Kloza noted that "ultimately I believe that Great Lakes gasoline prices will be falling before the month ends."
Michigan drivers paid an average of $4.61 a gallon for regular Thursday, compared with a national average of $4.27 and $3.04 in Michigan a year ago, according to AAA.
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