Survey: Gas prices climb another 3 cents
Average cost up nearly 35 cents per gallon since December
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RISING GAS PRICES |
Gas prices in a sampling of cities: |
Portland, Oregon | $2.01 |
Washington, D.C. | $1.83 |
Cleveland | $1.83 |
Boston | $1.81 |
Denver | $1.80 |
Albuquerque | $1.73 |
Atlanta | $1.68 |
Houston | $1.67 |
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(CNN) -- Gas prices rose an average of just over 3 cents a gallon during the past two weeks, continuing their record-breaking climb, the publisher of a national survey said Sunday.
The national average for a gallon of self-service regular unleaded gasoline rose to $1.83, according to the Lundberg Survey of more than 7,000 U.S. filing stations conducted Friday.
That's an increase of almost 35 cents a gallon since December 19, when prices began rising.
Publisher Trilby Lundberg said high consumer demand and low reserves were driving up prices.
Higher crude oil prices fueled by OPEC production cuts, uncertainty over Iraq's oil production and strong world demand -- especially in the United States and China -- were part of the reason for the increase, she said.
The United States also has tight refinery capabilities and new environmental specifications for gasoline. Those specifications have made it more difficult to import gasoline into the United States.
Lundberg said demand was growing steadily, despite the record prices.
In San Diego, California, prices dropped 5 cents in the two weeks since the last survey, but it is still the most expensive place to buy gasoline, with a gallon now at $2.17.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, had the lowest average price, at $1.66 a gallon, but that's an increase of 7 cents since the last survey.
