Local gas prices remain about the same

VW independent/submitted information

Local gasoline prices were pretty much the same as last week, with all local prices at least a penny lower than the state average.

Lowest price was $2.63 a gallon at both the Murphy USA station in the Towne Center shopping center and Lassus Handy Dandy in the 800 block of North Washington Street.

The One Stop Shop station in the 200 block of North Washington has gasoline at $2.67 a gallon, while four stations are at $2.69 a gallon: the Pak-A-Sak Marathon stations on North Washington and South Shannon, the Marathon station adjacent to Brookside Convenience Store on West Main Street, and the Shell station on South Washington Street.

The Sunoco station on East Main Street is selling gasoline at $2.74 cents a gallon.

Gasoline prices in Ohio fell 3.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.75 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. This compares with the national average, which has increased 1.5 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.87 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.

Including the change locally during the past week, prices Sunday were 39.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago and are 1.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 3.5 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 33.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

“Overarching concern over tightening global oil supplies, in advance of U.S. trade sanctions on Iran, have helped WTI rise $2.47 a barrel in just the past week, while Brent crude oil picked up nearly $4 in value to achieve thresholds not seen since November 2014,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com. “Looking ahead, the squeeze in global supplies will almost certainly put gasoline prices under pressure and provide a strong basis for further increases at the pumps at a time when drivers are accustomed to seeing prices soften.

“Short of producing countries suddenly finding a million spare barrels of oil over the month of October, drivers should brace for even higher prices over the next several weeks,” DeHaan added.