Gas Prices Fall in Wyoming and Rise Nationally Following 14 Weeks of Decline
Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have fallen 6.7 cents in the last week, averaging $3.76 a gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy surveys.
Prices in Wyoming are 14.8 cents lower than a month ago and 37.4 cents higher than a year ago, with the cheapest station in Wyoming being priced at $3.19 a gallon Sunday while the most expensive was $4.79 a gallon.
Natrona County is currently the fourth cheapest county in the state at an average gas price of $3.57 a gallon on Monday, with Laramie County as the cheapest at $3.43 a gallon, while Teton County is the most expensive at an average of $4.39 a gallon.
The national average price of gasoline has risen 11.1 cents in the last week, averaging $3.78 a gallon Monday, with the national average up 0.4 cents from a month ago and 59.8 cents higher from a year ago.
Wyoming is the 16th most expensive state in the country, Mississippi is the cheapest average state at $3.02 a gallon while California is the most expensive state at $6.25 a gallon.
Crude oil prices have risen over the past week, up to $82 a barrel, up from a low of $76 a barrel on Sept. 26, while the price of diesel has declined 2.9 cents in the past week, down to $4.86 a gallon on Monday.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said:
"With gas prices continuing to surge on the West Coast and Great Lakes, the national average saw its second straight weekly rise. But at the same time, areas of the Northeast and Gulf Coast have continued to see declines as the the nation experiences sharp differences in trends between regions," De Haan said. "Some West Coast states saw prices rise 35 to 55 cents per gallon in the last week as refinery issues continued to impact gasoline supply, which fell to its lowest level in a decade in the region, causing prices to skyrocket. While I'm hopeful there will eventually be relief, prices could go a bit higher before cooling off. In addition, OPEC could decide to cut oil production by a million barrels as the global economy slows down, potentially creating a catalyst that could push gas prices up further."