While gasoline prices took a slight drop in the past week, motorists in some Oklahoma counties have seen just the opposite. Coal County in the southeast has the highest average price at $4.26 a gallon of regular gasoline, reported AAA.
Crude oil prices in the U.S. are holding at more than $90 a barrel and are keeping the gasoline prices high, including nearly $6 a gallon in California.
Oklahoma’s average this week is $3.66 a gallon compared to the national average of $3.84. The state average is a dime lower than a week ago but 12 cents more than one month ago.
Coal County where Coalgate is the county seat, has the highest average at $4.26 but others inching closer to the $4 mark. Logan County’s average is $3.98 while Ellis County in the northwest averages $3.99. Greer County in the southwest averages $3.95 and Hughes County in the southeast has an average price of $3.94.
Oklahoma City’s average this week is $3.67, 13 cents lower than a week ago but 16 cents more than a month earlier. In Tulsa, the average gas price is $3.65 which is 9 cents lower than last week.
“The recent drop in the national average, while small, is fairly typical this time of year as much of the country makes the switch to less expensive winter blend gasoline,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But the gradual seasonal decline in pump prices is being slowed by higher oil costs, hovering around $90 a barrel.”
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose slightly from 8.31 to 8.41 million b/d last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks declined slightly from 220.3 to 219.5 million bbl. Higher gas demand, amid tighter supply, has contributed to elevated pump prices, but oil remaining above $90 per barrel continues to steer the price increases seen by drivers.