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Gas prices down a month after Harvey closed Gulf refineries

WARREN — One month after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, motorists Monday were finally seeing consistent declines in gas prices.

In the Warren-Youngstown area, the average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.38, according to national auto club AAA.

That compares to $2.46 the same day last week, $2.22 a month ago and $2.05 this time last year.

“Gas prices are getting cheaper by the day,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “Pump prices may not be dropping as fast as motorists would like, but with the switchover to winter-blend gasoline, consumer demand beginning to slow and Gulf Coast refineries getting closer to normal operations, consumers can expect gas prices to continue to be less expensive through October.”

For a second straight week, Ohio was one of the states to see the largest drops in gas prices and among those with the 10 least expensive markets, AAA leaders said.

On Monday, the state’s average gas price was $2.27 for a gallon of regular fuel at filling stations. That’s down from $2.37 the same day last week and $2.30 a month ago. This time last year consumers were paying an average of $2.09 per gallon.

The national average was $2.52 per gallon, down from $2.62 the prior week, but up from $2.35 last month and $2.21 a year ago.

Gulf Coast refinery operations were up nearly 10 percent for the week ending Sept. 15, according to the Department of Energy. Overall, 10 refineries were operating at reduced rates, while three remained shutdown. In addition, the Colonial Pipeline remained on an approximate seven-day gasoline delivery delay. However, it’s expected the pipeline will return to normal deliveries by the end of the month.

business@tribtoday.com

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