Missouri’s average gas prices keep steady

On Sept. 17, Missouri’s average retail price for regular unleaded gas was $2.68 per gallon, nearly unchanged from a month ago, according to the report. Average price for diesel was $2.93 per gallon.

Missouri’s average is about 11 cents lower than the U.S. average, and the diesel price is about 4 cents lower than the national average. The average U.S. retail gas price is 29 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Over the summer, national retail fuel prices dipped but have retained strength because of lower inventories compared to last year and the threat of weather-related production issues, according to the report.

Crude oil futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchanged settled at $81.93 per barrel on Sept. 19, a record high close, on concerns that storms and declining imports could reduce oil supplies before demand peaks in the fourth quarter, according to the report.