Gasoline prices are slowly sinking in the U.S. and Oklahoma with the national average at $4.25 a gallon and Oklahoma’s average down to $3.78 per gallon.
The American Automobile Association reported Wednesday the state’s average had fallen 4 cents in the past week but was still 57 cents higher than a month ago.
The national AAA average of $4.23 compared to $4.30 a week ago, $3.53 a month ago and $2.87 a year ago.
Tulsa drivers saw prices drop 13 cents in the past week as the average fell from $3.75 to $3.62 this week. A month ago, the Tulsa average was $3.24.
Oklahoma City motorists are paying an average of $3.86 a gallon, down 3 cents from a week ago but far more than the $3.18 average reported one month ago.
Coal County in the southeast has the highest average at $4.16 a gallon while three other counties have averages higher than $4 a gallon. Hughes is at $4.09, Logan at $4.02 and Ellis is at $4.08.
Rogers County in the northeast has the lowest average at $3.55 while Wagoner county has an average of $3.58 followed by Tulsa County at $3.59.
The Oklahoma average compares to $3.76 in Kansas, $3.96 in Colorado, $4.14 in New Mexico, $3.89 in Texas, $3.82 in Arkansas and $3.76 in Missouri according to AAA.
AAA reported the primary reason for lower gasoline prices is the lower global price of crude oil, which peaked shortly after Russia launched its war in Ukraine, but is now more than $20 lower and hovering near $105/bbl.
“Usually this time of year, with warmer weather and longer days, we’d see an uptick in gasoline demand as more people hit the road,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But we had a slight drop in demand last week, which may be due to higher pump prices. In our new survey of drivers, 59% said they would change their driving habits or lifestyle if the cost of gas hit $4 per gallon. And if gas were to reach $5, which it has in the Western part of the country, three-quarters said they would need to adjust their lifestyle to offset the pump price.”
