When gas prices will start to climb again, no one knows. And while there may be a slight increase in time for the high-demand season of Labor Day weekend, AAA says expect those prices to be the lowest they’ve been in four years.
“Record-high oil production is keeping downward pressure on gas prices,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “The bottom fell out again on oil prices last week, which should lead to another week of discounts at the pump despite rising demand, as 29.7 million Americans plan to take a road trip for Labor Day weekend.”
The price for a barrel of oil dropped $3.70 last week to $93.65 — its cheapest since January. Refineries are producing the most petroleum for this time of year since 1989, AAA said, primarily because of the shale boom, which has boosted oil production in the United States by 64 percent in the past five years.
Gas prices in Florida were at $3.34 on Sunday, down nearly 2 cents from the week before, and 15 cents lower than what they were a month ago. Prices also are 22 cents cheaper than Labor Day weekend last year.
Of the southern states AAA reviews in its report, Tennessee and the cheapest gas at $3.21 a gallon, down a penny from the week before, and 18 cents lower than Labor Day 2013.
The cheapest gallon of gas in the Land O’ Lakes area, according to GasBuddy.com, is at the RaceTrac on State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, where prices were reported late Sunday night at $3.11. The Shell station at the corner of State Road 54 and State Road 56 had the highest prices in the area at $3.37.
In Wesley Chapel, Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard had the cheapest gas at $3.14, with the Shell station at State Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard reporting $3.39.
In Lutz, the Chevron and Sunoco stations on State Road 54 and Collier Parkway both reported $3.18 Sunday night, while the most expensive was found at the Shell station at Van Dyke Road and Lakeshore Drive at $3.39.
Gas in Zephyrhills still remains a little pricier than other parts of the county, with GasBuddy’s lowest reported price at the Marathon station on the corner of Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road where it cost $3.25 per gallon. The Citgo at County Road 54 and 20th Street was the most expensive at $3.34.
Dade City was a little cheaper, with $3.17 reported at the Clark station near the corner of U.S. 301 and Long Avenue. The most expensive was $3.31 at the Chevron station on the corner of Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue.
Why do gas prices seem to rise the more east one travels in Pasco County? Read all about it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available Aug. 27.
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