Missouri's average retail gasoline price rose 15.5 cents during the past week to $3.50 per gallon yesterday.
Comparatively, the U.S. average jumped 11.7 cents to $3.62 per gallon, according to a GasBuddy.com news release.
The Missouri average was 0.5 cents lower than a month ago but 21.2 cents higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 3,940 filling stations in the state. The U.S. average has increased 0.4 cents month-to-month and 19.5 cents year-to-year.
"Nationally, gasoline prices have begun moving upward yet again. I suspect that the unrest in Egypt is playing a significant role in pushing crude values higher, and thus retail gasoline prices higher as well," GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said in the release. "The market is seemingly quite sensitive to the situation in Egypt as the Energy Information Administration has reported two consecutive weeks of large declines in crude oil inventories, drawing concern that a loss in Middle Eastern crude would mean continued declines in inventories stateside."
The latest weekly increase dropped Missouri down nine spots to No. 16 on GasBuddy's
list of the lowest gas prices in the nation. South Carolina held the top rank, with $3.27 per gallon, and Hawaii bottomed out the list at $4.28 per gallon.
As of 9:33 a.m., the lowest gas price in Missouri was $3.18 per gallon, selling at a station in Richland. At $3.79 per gallon, the most expensive gas in the state was available at 11 stations, according to MissouriGasPrices.com.
In Springfield, the Sam's Club stores at 3660 E. Sunshine St. and 745 W. El Camino Alto Drive had the least expensive price for gas, $3.31 per gallon. Two Conoco stations - at 1207 W. Kearney St. and 1472 E. Kearney St. - were selling gas for $3.41 per gallon, and others ranged from $3.42 to $3.49.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading at $106.25 per barrel as of 9:39 a.m., compared to $103.63 per barrel a week ago. Light sweet crude oil futures for August were trading at $105.66 per barrel on the
New York Mercantile Exchange. Last week, August futures were trading at $102.89 per barrel.[[In-content Ad]]
