Motorists in several Oklahoma county are greeted with $4 gasoline.
AAA reports drivers in at least one county are paying $4.37 a gallon average. The high price is the average in Coal County in southeast Oklahoma. At least two other counties have averages higher than $4. Logan County along I-35 north of Oklahoma City has an average price of $4.07 per gallon. Creek County near recorded an average of $4.02 per gallon while Tulsa and Rogers counties have averages of $3.99 per gallon.
Driven by the oil crisis, the war against Iran and the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, fuel prices continue their epic soar.
AAA reported that the average price per gallon in the city of Tulsa rose 50 cents in the past week, zooming from $3.48 to $3.98 per gallon as of Sunday. A year earlier, the average price in Tulsa was $2.87.
The average gasoline price in Oklahoma City rose 37 cents in the past week and reached a weekend average price of $3.85 per gallon. A year ago, the average was $2.76.
Statewide average
Oklahoma’s average price is $3.88 which represented an increase of 38 cents over the past week. One year ago, Oklahoma drivers paid an average of $2.79 per gallon.
Prices in other counties are close to $4 gasoline. Woods County’s average is $3.95; Dewey at $3.97; McIntosh $3.97; and Pittsburg County at $3.97.
The national average is $4.44 per gallon and went up 35 cents compared to the prior week. A year ago, the nation’s average price was $3.17.
Other states
While $4 gas in Oklahoma is high, the state and the region still have some of the lowest average prices in the nation. Kansas has an average of $3.95 while Colorado is $4.43; New Mexico $4.16; Texas $3.91; Arkansas $3.88; and Missouri $3.97.
Compare those prices with the west coast averages. California’s average, the highest in the U.S. is at $6.10 per gallon while $5 plus gasoline prices greet drivers in nearby states including Nevada at $5.16; Oregon $5.25; Washington, $5.66; and Alaska, $5.03.
Despite the shocking prices, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday that prices would quickly fall once the war ends and argued there will be “immediate relief once the Strait (of Hormuz) opens.”
A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Friday, showed 44% of those polled said they have reduced their driving because of the high gas prices. Nearly a third also said they were changing their travel and vacation plans.
Duffy remained optimistic and said the U.S. is not threatened with any risk of fuel shortages such as those in Europe because of President Trump’s energy policies.
“That point is why the president has focused so hard on energy pricing and American energy dominance,” Duffy said. “The president has leaned into American energy dominance.”