Refinery maintenance on the West Coast has pushed the national average for a gallon of gas up 6.5 cents over the past week, according to analysis from GasBuddy.
The average nationwide is $3.57 a gallon as of the start of business on Monday.
The average in Virginia is $3.46 a gallon, up 2.8 cents per gallon from last week.
The national average price of diesel has increased 3.1 cents in the last week and stands at $4.02 per gallon.
Refinery maintenance is one seasonal issue that will impact prices in the U.S. over the coming next few weeks, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
The switch to summer grades of gasoline, rising demand, with more of us hitting the road for vacations, and escalating crude oil prices are also factors.
Oil prices pushed into the range of $87 per barrel last week, with OPEC cutting production, and the political instability in the Middle East adding to concerns.
“The West Coast is likely to see gas prices continue to jump, and in a week or so, will be joined by the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states as they wrap up the transition to summer gasoline,” De Haan said.
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Chris Graham
