Gas Prices Slowly Rise Causing Temporary Stall to Seasonal Savings

Monday, September 19, 2016

Today’s national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.21 per gallon, which is 3 cents more than last week and 8 cents more expensive than last month.  Today’s price represents a year over year discount of 9 cents from 2015.

Regional pump prices fluctuated dramatically this week due to pipeline repairs and localized supply disruptions.  In early September, a leak on Line 1 of the Colonial Pipeline occurred in Alabama and pressured prices in Southeast states sharply higher, including week-over-week increases of 7 cents or more in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Line 1 of the pipeline runs from Houston, Texas to Greensboro, North Carolina and can carry 1.2 million barrels of gasoline per day. As a result of the leak and downtime for the repair, Colonial Pipeline announced over the weekend that it would construct a temporary pipeline to bypass the section of the line that is damaged. According to Colonial, the bypass would allow the pipeline to resume gasoline deliveries to impacted areas by the end of the week.

Until the pipeline bypass is completed, distribution issues will continue to put additional upward pressure on prices in the Southeast and possibly the Mid-Atlantic region. States that may continue to see tighter supply and higher gas prices include Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The Colonial Pipeline has said it anticipates reopening the line later this week with the bypass in use, but it remains unclear how quickly they will be able to repair Line 1.

Locally, South Jersey gas prices remained unchanged for the past week, holding at an average price of $1.94 for a gallon of unleaded fuel. This price is 7 cents higher than one month ago ($1.87), but is still 2 cents lower than one year ago ($1.96).

Quick Stats

Average gas prices are below $2 per gallon in six states today including: Mississippi ($1.96), Texas (1.96), Missouri ($1.97), New Jersey ($1.98), Arkansas ($1.99) and Louisiana ($1.99).

The biggest weekly price increases are reflected in Georgia (+21 cents), South Carolina (+13 cents), Tennessee (+13 cents), North Carolina (+11 Cents), Ohio (+11 Cents), Indiana (+10 cents), Alabama (+7 cents), Delaware (+7 cents), Kentucky (+7 cents) and Hawaii (+6 cents).

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

Gas prices across most of the region have remained relatively stable with seven states featured on the list for smallest weekly changes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York. The most expensive averages in the region are Washington, D.C. ($2.36), Pennsylvania ($2.33), New York ($2.32) and Connecticut ($2.29). Some states in this region will be impacted by the problems on the Colonial Pipeline.  OPIS reports that there will be less gasoline and diesel moving to Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware and New Jersey as a result of the leak. Colonial Pipeline has executed its alternative plan to construct a bypass line around the leak site to allow Line 1 gasoline distribution to return to service as rapidly and safely as possible. Colonial stated on Sunday that it is aiming to complete its bypass construction for Line 1 this week and restart full operation using the bypass for gasoline delivery from Houston to Greensboro, but there is a possibility construction may take longer than projected.

Global Market Dynamics

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed last week trading lower following the release of the International Energy Agency’s crude oil report which forecast abundant supplies with diminishing demand. Meanwhile, the Colonial Pipeline announced Sunday evening that it was currently working to repair the leak on Line 1 and construct a bypass pipeline to reduce disruption of gasoline deliveries. Colonial said they are aiming to have the Line 1 bypass up and running this week, but many of those watching the market are skeptical of their ability to restart the line that quickly.  Traders will continue to keep an eye on the Colonial Pipeline repairs, discussions surrounding the possibility of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike and the OPEC member meeting later this month. At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, WTI was down .88 cents to settle at $43.03 per barrel, the lowest settlement since Aug. 11.

Drivers can find current gas prices along their route with the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android. The app can also be used to map a route, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile.