State gas average drops nearly 8 cents

Missouri's gas average fell 7.6 cents during the past week to $3.45 per gallon yesterday.

Comparatively, the U.S. average dropped 2.3 cents during the week to $3.59 per gallon, according to a GasBuddy.com news release.

Missouri prices yesterday were 5.5 cents higher than a month ago, but 25.2 cents lower than a year ago. The national average was unchanged from a month ago and decreased 22.3 cents year-to-year.

"While the situation in Syria bears further monitoring and hurricane season remains on the radar, we've still seen prices continue to hold level. In fact, the cumulative yearly average for a gallon of gas stands at $3.57 (per gallon), compared to one year ago when it was $3.62 (per gallon), so while motorists feel this has been a bad year for gas prices, it hasn't been as painful as 2012," GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said in the release.

Missouri ranked 11th this morning on GasBuddy's list of the lowest gas averages in the U.S. At $3.23 per gallon, South Carolina had the lowest gas average, while Hawaii had the highest, at $4.23 per gallon.

The lowest price in Missouri this morning, $3.15 per gallon, was available at nine filling stations in Dexter. A high price of $3.79 per gallon was selling at a station in Kirkwood. GasBuddy.com surveys 3,940 gas outlets in Missouri daily.

Springfieldians could find the lowest price in town at Sam's Club, 745 W. El Camino Alto Drive, for $3.42 per gallon. Other stations ranged from $3.45 per gallon to $3.59 per gallon, according to MissouriGasPrices.com.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading at $110.53 per barrel as of 9:17 a.m., up from $107.65 a week ago. Light sweet crude oil futures for October were trading at $109.98 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.