Gasoline prices in Los Angeles increased this week in response to thin national supplies as the Gulf Coast continues to suffer in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said the Automobile Club of Southern California.
The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area rose 5.6 cents to $2.977 on Friday from $2.921 one week ago. Prices haven’t reached a new record high since Sept. 6. The price was $2.993 per gallon one month ago and $2.232 one year prior.
“Even though California produces nearly all of its own fuel, gasoline markets nationwide react to each other when dramatic swings in price occur,” Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp said. “California has been protected against dramatic super spikes some regions are experiencing, but prices will continue to swing up and down in response to an unstable energy market.”
The Orange County area had the lowest average price in Southern California, gaining 6 cents to $2.935. The Bakersfield area had the highest gas price for the fifth straight week, edging up 1.3 cents to $3.053. Of the areas surveyed, only the Bakersfield, Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc and San Diego areas had average prices above the $3-a-gallon mark on Friday.
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m. each Friday.
