COLUMBIA (WACH)—Another week of more pain at the pump, as gas prices in the Midlands have risen nearly 4 cents a gallon to an average of $3.47. On the national petrol scene, a 3 cent increase brings the average price for a gallon of gas to $3.73, all according to ColumbiaGasPrices.com.
The increase in the Midlands brings prices to an average 13 cents higher than a year ago.
"Well, for those that have noticed, the national average has perked up slightly in the last week as oil prices have advanced," said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. "While that may be notable, soon-to-be Hurricane Isaac will be the story this week. It's entirely within the realm of possibility that we see refinery outages, oil production losses, and gasoline supply issues- essentially all the things you don't want to happen. While this storm doesn't currently appear as powerful as other storms that have caused similar concern- we're continuing to watch the situation develop. One thing is for sure- I'm concerned that this storm will temporarily drive prices higher in the short term," DeHaan said.
Several oil companies have evacuated refineries, which could have a noticeable impact on the price of gas.
You can always find the cheapest gas in the area with the interactive map found under the Pain at the Pump link.
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