Independent oil refiner and marketer Marathon Petroleum Corp.MPC is slated to release fourth-quarter 2017 results before the opening bell on Thursday, Feb 1. Gasoline prices jumped to two-year highs in the third quarter in the wake of Hurricane Harvey that struck the U.S. Gulf Coast - home to more than 45% of domestic oil refining capacity - and caused weeks of disruptions, creating supply shortages. In the preceding three-month period, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 22.07% on stronger fuel margin.