The price of an average gallon of self-serve regular in the Los Angeles area stayed nearly constant from last week, falling just one-tenth of a cent to $2.933 for the week ended Sept. 26.

Still, L.A. prices are 84.2 cents higher than they were a year ago, according to the federal Energy Information Administration, due to disruptions Gulf Coast petroleum operations suffered in the wake of hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

On Monday, President Bush said the government is prepared to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease oil prices raised by Hurricane Rita’s direct hit on crude production facilities. Initial reports indicated damage to the facilities was light, but crude oil and gasoline futures rebounded on indications that refineries near the Texas- Louisiana border may be shut for longer than expected.

Statewide, prices fell seven-tenths of a cent to $2.947 from $2.954 over the week, leaving them 85.3 cents higher than year-ago rates. For the first time in three weeks, California rose to the top of the list again as the state with the highest gas prices in the nation, out-pricing New York, which held onto the title during that time.

San Francisco was the priciest city in the nation, displacing New York City, even as the cost of a gallon there fell 1.2 cents to $2.982. Los Angeles came in second place.

Minnesota was the lowest-priced state of the areas surveyed, at $2.655 per gallon, and the city with cheapest gas was Cleveland, which gained 2.6 cents to $2.693 per gallon.