(AAA News Release) Recent oil refinery issues in Puget Sound and California, along with reports of an outage at the Olympic Pipeline, have caused gas prices to jump in West Coast states.
Planned and unplanned maintenance at refineries has caused wholesale prices to shoot up, and those increases are being passed on to consumers at the pumps. In addition, the Olympic Pipeline, which carries fuel from Washington refineries to Portland, is reportedly down. Some relief should come soon due to the upcoming switch to winter-blend fuel starting on Sept. 15 in Oregon.
For the week, the national average for regular adds one cent to $3.19 a gallon. The Oregon average jumps 16 cents to $4.14 a gallon. This is the biggest week-over-week jump for a state in the nation and the highest price for the Oregon average since June 2024.
“Gasoline supplies on the West Coast are very tight, due to refinery maintenance, and as the last of the summer-blend gas is produced. Oregon can start selling winter-blend gas on Sept. 15. This fuel costs less to produce and should help bring some relief at the pumps,” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. “Meanwhile, drivers in the Midwest are already seeing lower pump prices, now that the BP refinery in Whiting, Ind. is back online. This refinery, which is the largest in the Midwest and the largest inland refinery in the U.S., had to stop operations last month after storms brought rain and flooding to the area.”
Hurricane season remains the wildcard. There’s still the potential of a major storm that could impact production and distribution of oil and gas if a storm takes aim at the Gulf Coast.
The Oregon average for regular gas began this year at $3.45 a gallon and is currently at $4.14. This is the highest price of the year so far. The lowest price of the year so far is just under $3.45 a gallon on Jan. 2.
The national average began the year at $3.06 a gallon and is currently at $3.19. The highest price of the year so far is $3.268 on April 4. The lowest price of the year so far is $3.06 on Jan. 5.
Oregon is one of 41 states with higher prices now than a week ago. Oregon (+16 cents) has the biggest week-over-week jump in the nation. Ohio (-16 cents) has the largest week-over-week decline in the nation.
California ($4.63) has the most expensive gas in the nation for the sixth week in a row. Washington ($4.50) is second, Hawaii ($4.48) is third, and Oregon ($4.14) is fourth. These are the four states with averages at or above $4 a gallon. This week, 29 states and the District of Columbia have averages in the $3 range. There are 17 states with an average in the $2 range this week.
The cheapest gas in the nation is in Mississippi ($2.71) and Texas ($2.76). No state has had an average below $2 a gallon since Jan. 7, 2021, when Mississippi and Texas were below that threshold. At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic drove significant declines in crude oil and gasoline demand in the U.S. and around the world.
The difference between the most expensive and least expensive states is $1.92 this week, compared to $1.90 a week ago.
Oregon is one of 39 states with higher prices now than a month ago. The national average is five cents more and the Oregon average is 14 cents more than a month ago. Arizona (+36 cents) has the largest month-over-month increase in the nation. Michigan (-10 cents) has the largest month-over-month drop.
Oregon is one of eight states with higher prices now than a year ago. The national average is eight cents less, while the Oregon average is 38 cents more. Oregon has the largest year-over-year increase in the nation. The District of Columbia (-29 cents) has the largest yearly drop.
The West Coast region continues to have the most expensive pump prices in the nation, with all seven states in the top 10.
As mentioned, California has the most expensive gas in the nation for the sixth week in a row. Washington, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska and Arizona round out the top seven. Oregon is fourth most expensive for the 16th week in a row.
The West Coast states are all seeing week-over-week increases: Oregon (+16 cents), Washington (+10 cents), Arizona (+10 cents), Alaska (+5 cents), Nevada (+5 cents), Hawaii (+3 cents), and California (+2 cents).
For the week, the national average for diesel adds one cent to $3.70 a gallon. The record high is $5.816 set on June 19, 2022. The Oregon average rises four cents to $4.49. The record high is $6.47 set on July 3, 2022. A year ago, the national average for diesel was $3.65 and the Oregon average was $3.94.
