For the third straight week, gas prices have risen across South Central Ohio. The average price of gasoline is 16 cents higher this week at $3.260 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: South Central Ohio Average: $3.260

Average price during the week of October 11, 2021 $3.108

Average price during the week of October 19, 2020 $2.032

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:

$3.204 Athens

$3.262 Chillicothe

$3.214 Columbiana

$3.267 East Liverpool

$3.281 Gallipolis

$3.283 Hillsboro

$3.287 Ironton

$3.251 Jackson

$3.287 Logan

$3.270 Marietta

$3.274 Portsmouth

$3.251 Steubenville

$3.242 Washington Court House

$3.272 Waverly

Trend Analysis:

This week’s national average for a gallon of gasoline hit $3.32 which is five cents higher than last week. The primary driver of this surge remains the cost of crude oil, which is now closing daily above $80 a barrel. In August, the price of crude was in the low $60s per barrel.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), last week’s total domestic gasoline supply fell by 2 million barrels to 223.1 million barrels. Gasoline demand also fell from 9.43 million barrels per day to 9.19 million barrels per day, but the agency calculates it is still some 610,000 barrels per day above last year. Typically, softening demand should result in some easing of pump prices, but the higher cost for crude is keeping prices elevated. With more expensive oil prices, pump prices will follow suit because the cost of crude oil accounts for more than half of the price of each gallon of gas.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 97 cents to settle at $82.28. Crude prices increased last week despite the EIA reporting that total domestic crude inventories increased by 6.1 million barrels to 427 million barrels last week. The current storage level is nearly 13 percent lower than the level at this same time last year. Given supply concerns, the market continues to bolster prices higher.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 72 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.