OKLAHOMA GAS PRICES SOAR 22 CENTS IN 15 DAYS

NEWS from AAA Oklahoma, April 8 – Oklahoma’s statewide average price for self-serve regular gasoline has jumped 22 cents in the last 15 days, according to AAA’s FuelGaugeReport.com. On March 24, the state average stood at $3.39 per gallon. Today’s price average is $3.61.

“Pump prices are trending higher right along with crude oil prices. Unfortunately for the motorist, crude is at 30-month highs, flirting with $112 per barrel on the New York Mercantile,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “Unrest in the Middle East and Northern Africa continue to be the driving force behind these unusually high crude oil prices, along with what’s happening in Japan and the weakening U.S. dollar.”

Twelve states now have gas price averages below that of Oklahoma, with Wyoming the cheapest of all the states at $3.472 per gallon, followed by New Jersey, $3.548, Colorado, $3.549, South Carolina, $3.553 and Utah, $3.561.

The nation’s most expensive gas today is in Hawaii with an average of $4.388, followed by California at $4.125, Alaska, $4.114 and Illinois, $3.951.

“We haven’t seen gas prices this high in Oklahoma since September 18, 2008 when the state average stood at $3.648,” said Mai. “Over the past year, the state average has risen 87 cents a gallon. Makes CNG’s price today of $1.39 look very attractive.”

Helping to fuel these higher pump prices is the seasonal switch refineries are undergoing right now from producing winter blends to turning out the cleaner-burning summer blends required by the Environmental Protection Agency.

For tips on saving money at the pump along with useful fuel-related links, visit AAA.com and click on Fuel News & Tools.