NEWS from AAA Oklahoma, Sept. 7 2007 – Retail gasoline prices have skyrocketed in Oklahoma over the last week and a half, rising from an average of $2.80 per gallon on Aug. 27 to $2.97 today, according to AAA Oklahoma.

“We’re being told the rapid increase in pump prices is due to Coffeyville, Kan., refinery problems and other supply disruptions in the upper central U.S. states,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “The Group 3 market refining center in Tulsa supplies fuel to most of the Midwest, primarily through the Magellan pipeline system, and it’s struggling to meet the demand.”

Travelers heading south, east or northeast out of Oklahoma would be well-advised to wait until crossing the state line before filling up, AAA says. The statewide average in Texas for self-serve regular gasoline is $2.70 per gallon today, Arkansas is at $2.75 and Missouri’s average currently stands at $2.78.

A dozen states have higher statewide gas price averages than Oklahoma and they are all in the nation’s mid-section, excluding Hawaii and Alaska. Michigan and North Dakota are highest at $3.19, followed by Illinois at $3.12, Wisconsin at $3.09 and three states at $3.08: South Dakota, Indiana and Nebraska.

“There just doesn’t seem to be much of the summer grade fuel available in these states,” said Mai. “Refiners tell us they are reluctant to make more because in a week, they’ll be switching to production of winter fuels.”

AAA says these late summer supply problems once again reflect the price and supply pressures created by the Environmental Protection Agency’s “boutique” fuel requirements and the aging and/or inadequate gasoline refining facilities in the U.S.

Oklahoma’s average price today of $2.97 per gallon for self-serve regular is 15 cents above the national average. A year ago, the Oklahoma average was $2.48 and the national average stood at $2.70.