Fuel Tracker

The effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt at the gas pump, as national gasoline prices jumped by more than 40 cents in a week. The Sept. 5 average of $3.07 per gallon was a nickel shy of the all-time inflation-adjusted record, set in March 1981. Prices are expected to remain high, as nearly 5 percent of U.S. refining capacity is out of service for several months, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports. Below is the national average price per gallon for gasoline and the West Texas Intermediate spot price per barrel for crude oil, as well as a snapshot of prices in Springfield. The U.S. average price for gasoline as of Sept. 5 was $3.07, up 39 cents from Aug. 31. The price of crude oil per gallon as of Sept. 2 was $66.91, up $1.40 from Aug. 31.