De Haan Says Gas Prices Likely to Slip Lower

(Undated) — Drivers across much of the nation have seen gas prices rise recently. According to GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis, Patrick De Haan, most of the nation’s 50 states saw gas prices rise over the last week, while some Great Lakes states saw significant relief thanks to the restart of BP’s Whiting, Indiana, refinery after severe weather caused a temporary outage. He says GasBuddy counts seventeen states with average prices below $3 per gallon, fewer than we’ve seen in recent months. DeHaan says Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois led the declines, while just a few additional states saw price drops. Meanwhile, the West Coast may see continued increases ahead in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada due to seasonal refinery maintenance and the shutdown of a refinery in Southern California, which will keep supply tight. However, with the transition back to winter gasoline just a week away for most areas, those increases may be short-lived, with potential relief arriving toward the end of the month. Additionally, OPEC+ announced an increase in oil production starting in October, which could help keep oil prices lower for longer. The current national average is $3.19 a gallon.