Gas prices in Western Pennsylvania fell by four cents this week to $2.644 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
On the National Front
Today’s national average is $2.34/gallon. This price is a penny cheaper than one week ago, seven cents less than a month ago, but +12 cents more than a year ago. The latest Energy Information Association (EIA) report shows that gasoline demand increased by 252,000 barrels on the week. Despite the jump in demand, the continued oversupply of gasoline caused prices in most parts of the country to drop or remain steady with the exception of some states in the Great Lakes and Central regions, where prices increased by a penny or more.
In coming weeks, the onset of summer travel is likely to increase demand which might help dip into high gasoline stocks; however, it may not be enough demand to increase prices significantly.
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states continued to see prices at the pump decline, notably Delaware (-5 cents), North Carolina (-4 cents) and Pennsylvania (-4 cents). Even with the price drop, Pennsylvania held its spot on the country’s top 10 list of most expensive markets along with Washington, D.C. ($2.51) and New York ($2.50).
On Monday morning, U.S. petroleum futures were just below $50 per barrel. Prices rallied after officials from Russia and Saudi Arabia announced that they plan to extend production cuts into March 2018. This news comes after OPEC released its May report, which warns that the global oil market will not rebalance by the end of the year unless there is a collective effort from all oil producers to increase market stability.
Last week, U.S. drillers added an additional nine oilrigs, bringing the total U.S rig count to 712 and marking 17 weeks of growth. The expected result of OPEC’s actions is far from certain. Until it is, drivers may continue to benefit at the pump – even during the typically more expensive summer driving season.
This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average $2.644
Average price during the week of May 8, 2017 $2.686
Average price during the week of May 16, 2016 $2.418
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:
$2.648 Altoona
$2.702 Beaver
$2.593 Bradford
$2.691 Brookville
$2.627 Butler
$2.662 Clarion
$2.511 Du Bois
$2.627 Erie
$2.683 Greensburg
$2.657 Indiana
$2.719 Jeannette
$2.659 Kittanning
$2.671 Latrobe
$2.646 Meadville
$2.682 Mercer
$2.576 New Castle
$2.680 New Kensington
$2.681 Pittsburgh
$2.486 Sharon
$2.674 Uniontown
$2.664 Warren
$2.633 Washington
Motorists can find current gas prices along their route with the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. The app can also be used to map a route, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile.
AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 81 local offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York and Kentucky serving more than 2.7 million members.
For More Information Contact Herman Jenkins, Public Affairs Director
at 412-365-7278 or Jenkins.Herman@aaaec.com
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