VALDOSTA — Gasoline prices crept upward in South Georgia over the past week, in line with state and national trends.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Valdosta Friday was $3.34, up a couple of pennies from the previous week, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
The lowest fuel price reported in the Azalea City Friday was $3.17 per gallon at a Norman Drive store; the lowest price reported in Tifton was $3.13 at a retailer on South Central Avenue, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com.
Valdosta had the fifth-lowest fuel price average Friday among the 15 Georgia markets monitored by the auto club: above Warner Robins, Dalton, Columbus and Catoosa but below Savannah, Rome, Macon, Hinesville, Macon, Gainesville, Brunswick, Augusta, Atlanta, Albany and Athens.
Nationally, the average for a gallon of gasoline was $3.54, up by three cents from seven days earlier, while Georgia’s average of $3.40 per gallon was up seven cents in the same period, AAA said.
“The damage from (Hurricane) Beryl caused limited damage to Gulf Coast energy facilities,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And while a record 60 million travelers were forecast to hit the highways for the July 4th holiday, the overall demand number for gasoline dropped. That is a rare feat for a holiday week and may point to a change in demand trends.”
In Friday’s market action, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 31 cents to $82.93 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 21 cents to $85.61 per barrel.