Weeks Of Gas Price Increases Bring Cost Within Striking Distance Of $4.00 Per Gallon In Some Areas
The cost of a gallon of gas just went up for the ninth consecutive week, bringing the average gas price in the United States to $3.60 per gallon, the highest it has been in 2014 and the highest national average since the September 2, 2013 survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This week’s survey shows the current national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded went up nearly 2¢ per gallon, bringing the current cost of fuel to nearly the same point it was a year ago.
That effectively erases the year-over-year gains drivers had enjoyed as recently as two months ago. As it stands, prices are almost exactly where they were at the end of summer last year, and there is no indication a break will come any time soon for drivers.
Bad News As 2014 Summer Driving Season Approaches
The current spate of price increases has been predicted by TurnpikeInfo.com since the middle of February, based upon a host of factors that emerged in defiance of earlier government forecasts, which had predicted gas prices would decline through 2014. While only the second quarter has started, current circumstances show the price of gas will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
For one, crude oil spiked to a new high for the year as West Texas Intermediate closed well above $102 per barrel Tuesday, the highest it has been in about a month. Part of the rise was investor speculation about oil inventories going to the Cushing, Oklahoma storage facility, which have declined for a tenth consecutive week. While a significant amount crude oil going to refineries is now able to bypass the Cushing storage facility, WTI contracts are traded off supplies at the facility. Crude supplies at Cushing are currently down 35%, according to the EIA.
The tight supply issue is further complicated by an exacerbated Ukraine crisis, which has flared up once more. Russia has warned Ukraine to halt military exercises in the eastern portion of that nation or risk a civil war. Many ethnic Russians live in the eastern portion of Ukraine. The renewed saber-rattling on the part of Russia has caused additional speculation that energy supplies through Ukraine could be disrupted.
That has caused Brent Light Sweet Crude to rise, pushing the Brent to over $107 as of Tuesday.
Add to that mix the new summer blends of gas, which require ethanol – there is currently a shortage of ethanol and prices are at eight-year highs – and the immediate future for the price of gas is one that trends higher.
Truckers Catch Break As Diesel Prices Dip
Truckers are the only drivers on America’s highways that are enjoying a break this week. In fact, diesel fuel prices have retreated from their 2014 highs and are now down to a U.S. average of just $3.96 per gallon. That price point is down about 1.5¢ from the previous week.
The lowest price for diesel is to be found on the Gulf Coast, where the coast of a gallon of fuel is about $3.79. However, many regions are still seeing prices well above $4.00 per gallon. The costliest fuel is to be found in the New England states, where the average price is about $4.24 per gallon.