PUBLISHED ONMay 19, 2026 2:22 AMBYSean LerMore than a week after the last round of changes to pump prices in Singapore on May 8 — with diesel prices adjusted downwards and petrol prices kept unchanged — oil and gas company Shell has raised petrol prices but reduced its posted price for diesel.
In a price board update published at 4.30pm on Monday (May 18), Shell announced a 3-cent hike across its petrol offerings, while reducing its diesel price by the same amount. The move also pushed its more premium 98-octane petrol past the $4 mark again.
Following the latest round of pump prices adjustments, the price of the more popular 95-octane petrol now ranges from $2.64 at Cnergy, to $3.49 at Shell.
Meanwhile, the more premium 98-octane petrol is now priced between $3.05 at Cnergy and $4.01 at Shell.
| Company / Fuel | 92-octane | 95-octane | 98-octane | Premium | Diesel |
| Caltex | $3.43 | $3.47 | Not available | $4.16 | $4.48* |
| Esso | $3.43 | $3.46 | $3.98 | Not available | $4.48 |
| Shell* | Not available | $3.49* | $4.01* | $4.23* | $4.45* |
| Sinopec | Not available | $3.46 | $3.97 | $4.10 | $4.47* |
| SPC | $3.39 | $3.42 | $3.93 | Not available | $4.32 |
| Cnergy | Not available | $2.64 | $3.05 | Not available | $3.40 |
Prices are correct as at 10am on May 19. All prices are before discounts. *Indicates change to posted price(s) on May 18. | |||||
Shell's move came amidst an earlier threat by US President Donald Trump on Monday to strike Iran again after he told reporters on board Air Force One that he was losing patience.
In a Truth Social post published at 5.26am (Singapore time), Trump posted an image of the US flag overlaid against a Middle East map, with 12 arrows pointing towards Iran.
On the same day, Trump walked back on threats, saying he had paused a planned attack against Iran to allow for negotiations to take place on a deal to end the US-Israel war, after Iran sent a new peace proposal to Washington.
He then took to Truth Social again, on Tuesday, to say that he had been asked by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to hold off strikes given that "serious negotiations" are now taking place.
In the same post, Trump also said he had instructed the US military to be prepared to go forward with a "full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice".
Brent oil prices fell more than 2.7 per cent, to US$109.09, in early Asian trade on Tuesday.
"While Trump's signal has eased some immediate pressure, the fundamental risks persist ... The market is now watching whether Trump's comments represent a genuine shift toward de-escalation or just a tactical pause," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
"Also, how Iran responds to the latest developments, and what's actually happening on the water with tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz are key determinants of where oil prices head to from here."
The Middle East conflict, now in its 12th week, has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries about a fifth of global oil supply, raising concerns over supply disruptions.
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