JACKSON, Miss.–If you’re getting gas for under $2 per gallon, you are now in the minority. The average cost of gas in Mississippi went up to $2.12 over the weekend, and strikes by oil workers and an explosion at a California refinery may be to blame.
“Four weeks ago it was higher crude oil prices coming to the pump, and that’s nearly complete,” said oil expert Trilby Lundberg. She runs the Lundberg Survey, which tracks gas prices across the county. “Now we have gasoline issues, including labor strikes at several U.S. refineries that may be impacting traders’ perceptions. Even though we don’t have a shortage of gasoline, the price has been on the move.”
And that move has been up steadily over the past several weeks in the Magnolia State, where the average close the beginning of the year was several cents under $2.
“Prices bottomed out four weeks ago, and the current price is still $1.08 below its year ago point.”
Lundberg says any more rises in the price probably won’t be too dramatic in the near future, though.
“Unless we have another up-tick in crude oil prices of significance, and/or if there are further refinery output stoppages or issues regarding supply, chances are the price rise from here will be more modest, smaller than it has been these two weeks.”
The cheapest gas in Mississippi Monday morning was $1.89 at stations in Hernando and Mathiston.
