Gas prices in South Central Ohio dropped by about seven cents this week to $2.386 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

Gas prices are less expensive on the week across the Great Lakes and Central region, including in Ohio (-8 cents), which was amongst the largest weekly changes in the nation’s top ten markets. At $2.36, Ohio is selling the cheapest gas in the region and the 6th cheapest in the country.

Compared to one month ago, Ohio (-14 cents) is one of only six states in the country that is paying less at the pump. These states have seen very volatile gas prices since January.

Gasoline inventories in the region have built every week this year according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports. With a build of nearly 1 million barrels, gasoline inventories total 57 million barrels this week.

Today’s average prices: South Central Ohio Average $2.386

Average price during the week of Feb. 5, 2018 $2.453

Average price during the week of Feb. 13, 2017 $2.161

Here is the price per gallon of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:

$2.509 Athens

$2.341 Chillicothe

$2.314 Columbiana

$2.473 East Liverpool

$2.455 Gallipolis

$2.245 Hillsboro

$2.404 Ironton

$2.377 Jackson

$2.311 Logan

$2.454 Marietta

$2.410 Portsmouth

$2.351 Steubenville

$2.414 Washington Court House

$2.352 Waverly

On the National Front

At $2.57, the national gas price average has decreased for the first time week-over-week this year. Today’s price is 3 cents less than last week, 4 cents more than a month ago and 29 cents more than a year ago

Consumer gasoline demand and gasoline inventories increased according to the latest EIA reports. Hitting its highest level this year, gasoline demand registered at 9.1 million b/d, a 169,000 b/d increase year-over year. Total U.S. gasoline inventories built by 3.4 million barrels to total 245.5 million, which sits about 1.4 million above the five-year average.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, West Texas Intermediate dropped by nearly $2 to settle at $59.20. Price gains made throughout January, which saw a closing high of $66.27, were wiped away after trading last week. Last week’s losses, which were buoyed by a strengthening dollar, may continue into this week after EIA’s latest weekly petroleum report revealed that U.S. crude production hit 10.25 million b/d – a new record weekly production rate.

A sign of potentially explosive growth in U.S. crude production, the latest Baker Hughes, Inc. report found the active oil rig count in the U.S. grew by 26 new rigs last week to total at 791. This is the highest number of active rigs since April 2015, and it will likely push production to even higher levels later this year.

Motorists can find current gas prices at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 81 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members. News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.