After increasing by 11 cents last week, the average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is another 13 cents more expensive this week at $3.042 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
With a 3.2-million-barrel draw, the region saw the largest decrease in gasoline stocks of any in the country for the week ending April 5. According to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, total stocks now sit at 60.2 million, which is the lowest level of the year but on par with levels this time last year. Regional refinery utilization remains at 79 percent, but that is expected to increase throughout this month.
This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average $3.042
Average price during the week of April 8, 2019 $2.919
Average price during the week of April 16, 2018 $2.928
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:
$2.940 Altoona
$2.968 Beaver
$2.931 Bradford
$3.165 Brookville
$2.998 Butler
$3.093 Clarion
$3.021 Du Bois
$3.084 Erie
$3.061 Greensburg
$3.093 Indiana
$3.084 Jeannette
$3.097 Kittanning
$3.063 Latrobe
$3.089 Meadville
$3.026 Mercer
$2.939 New Castle
$3.081 New Kensington
$3.066 Pittsburgh
$2.936 Sharon
$3.084 Uniontown
$3.099 Warren
$3.014 Washington
On the National Front
Pump prices on the West Coast increased as much as 20 cents this past week, driving the national average up nearly 10 cents to $2.83 on the week. As stocks tighten out West due to unplanned and planned maintenance, California’s average jumped to $4.00, the most expensive state average this week and a price point not seen in the Golden State since July 2014. Nationwide, as gasoline supplies decrease and demand measures at summer-levels, gas prices are also increasing throughout the rest of the country.
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, West Texas Intermediate increased 31 cents to settle at $63.89. Oil prices increased last week, and will likely continue their ascent this week, as a weaker dollar helped to push crude prices up because of the increased number of dollars needed to purchase crude on the global market. Another contributing factor to the price jumps came from reports that there was a 534,000-b/d decline in crude production by OPEC members in March. The news underscores that OPEC and its partners are making reductions in service consistent with their 1.2 million b/d production reduction agreement, which is in place through June.
Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.