Mo. gas average falls 13 cents

The Missouri gas average fell roughly 13 cents during the week of Christmas, once again putting the state on top of GasBuddy.com’s list of the lowest averages in the U.S.

At $1.92 per gallon this morning, the Show-Me State was trailed by an average of $1.95 per gallon in Oklahoma, the only other state with an average below $2.

With its average of $1.93 per gallon yesterday, Missouri consumers have witnessed prices drop by 56.7 cents during the past month and by $1.09 during the past year. The national average fell 9.6 cents during the past week to $2.28 per gallon, which is 50.6 cents lower than a month ago and $1.01 lower than a year ago, according to a news release.

“The dramatic decline at the pump continues to reap significant savings for the motoring public - over $525 million less spent every day versus this past summer, or $375 million less than the same time last year,” said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst, in the release.

This morning, Missourians could find the lowest pump prices at $1.70 per gallon at separate stations in Arnold and Oakville. However, one report on MissouriGasPrices.com put a Cape Girardeau station at $3.19 per gallon.

At $1.82 per gallon, the Springfield Sam’s Club stores, 3660 E. Sunshine St. and 745 W. El Camino Alto Drive, priced gas the lowest in the city. Prices elsewhere ranged from $1.83 to $1.87 per gallon.

As of 10:21 a.m., West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading at $55.04 per barrel, compared to $55.86 a week ago. Light sweet crude oil futures for February were trading at $55.06 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

“The slump in crude oil has wavered slightly and we're in the fourth quarter of the game,” DeHaan said in the release. “However, there is still a chance that crude prices [will] resume their slump again and carry the pump plunge into overtime.”