Gas prices in Northeast Ohio are eight cents cheaper this week at $2.053 per gallon according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
Pump prices are cheaper on the week for all Great Lakes and Central states. This week’s declines wiped out any increases from the previous week in Ohio (-12 cents) landing it at the top of the list of the states with the largest weekly decreases in the country.
Regional refinery utilization jumped from 94 to 98 percent and along with it added 350,000 oil barrels, according to the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports. Total gasoline stocks in the region register at 49.8 million barrels– a healthy mark for this time of year and a 2.5 million barrel year-over-year surplus.
This week’s average prices: Northeast Ohio Average: $2.053
Average price during the week of December 10, 2018: $2.137
Average price during the week of December 18, 2017: $2.278
Average prices of the unleaded self-service gasoline in various areas:
$1.947 Alliance
$2.092 Ashland
$1.942 Ashtabula
$2.217 Aurora
$2.155 Chesterland
$2.057 Cleveland
$2.040 Elyria
$2.069 Independence
$2.031 Lorain
$2.128 Lyndhurst
$1.872 Massillon
$2.037 Mentor
$1.976 New Philadelphia
$1.989 Niles
$2.190 Norwalk
$2.117 Oberlin
$2.014 Parma
$1.954 Ravenna
$2.161 Solon
$2.089 Willard
$2.039 Youngstown
On the National Front
At $2.37, the national gas price average continues to drive toward the cheapest pump prices seen during the month of December since 2016, which is welcome news for the millions of Americans expected to begin holiday travel later this week.
The national average is a nickel less than last week, 26-cents less than last month and six-cents less than a year ago. With gasoline production on the high side – 10 million barrels per day - amid low demand, motorists can expect gas prices to continue declining through year-end.
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, West Texas Intermediate decreased $1.38 to settle at $51.20. Oil prices mostly fell last week as market observers continue to worry that the global crude market is oversupplied.
Crude inventories around the country slid another 1.2 million barrels, according to new data released by EIA. With domestic inventories now falling and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC’s) production reduction agreement set to take effect in early 2019, crude prices could increase early next year. If they do, motorists will likely see pump prices increase.
Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.
AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 80 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members. News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
For More Information, Contact:
Jim Garrity, Public & Community Relations Manager
Desk: 412-365-7274 / Cell: 412-905-9021 / Email: Garrity.James@aaaec.com
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