MO gas prices drop after steady climb

After three consecutive weeks of increases, Missouri's average retail gasoline price showed some slack during the week of July 23-29, dropping 1.5 cents to $3.35 per gallon yesterday.

The state's gas average yesterday was 16.7 cents higher than a month ago but 24.3 cents lower than the same day in 2011. The national average, which increased 0.4 cents during the past week to $3.50 per gallon, was 12.1 cents higher than a month ago and 20.2 cents higher than a year ago, according to a GasBuddy.com news release.

Missouri's gas average, which increased a cent this morning, placed the state at No. 10 on GasBuddy.com's list of the lowest gas averages in the U.S. South Carolina, with an average of $3.17 per gallon, had the least expensive gas in the nation, and Hawaii was the only state above $4 per gallon.

As of 10:24 a.m., the lease expensive gas in Missouri was available for $3 per gallon at a filling station in Portageville, which is located in the Bootheel. The most expensive gas, $3.58 per gallon, was selling at a station in University City, near St. Louis, according to MissouriGasPrices.com.

In Springfield, the lowest price was $3.30 per gallon, available at Sam's Club, 745 W. El Camino Alto Drive. Prices at several stations ranged from $3.33 per gallon to $3.35 per gallon.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading at $90.10 per barrel as of 10:29 a.m., up from $88.37 a week ago. Light sweet crude oil futures for September were trading at $89.81 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.