Business & Tech
Local Gas Prices Jump 28 Cents Following Refinery Fire
San Rafael's gas prices increased around 28 cents from last month, according to AAA. See where you can find the cheapest gas.
Drivers all across Northern California, including San Rafael, are seeing massive jumps at the pump as gas prices leap over $4 per gallon in most parts of the state, in part due to .
“The recent fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond has created a short-term spike in gas prices across many parts of the Pacific Northwest and Nevada,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris. “It still remains to be seen how long the impact of the fire will be felt. Meanwhile, across the United States, positive economic news has been putting upward pressure on oil prices.”
According to the latest report from AAA Northern California, which tracks gas prices, every metro area in Northern California saw a double-digit jump in its average price over the past month of at least 28 cents.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $4.18, which is a 32-cent increase. In San Rafael, the average price of gas of $4.13 increased by 28 cents from last month, according to AAA. The cheapest gas in San Rafael as of Wednesday, Aug. 15, can be found at the Union 76 Station on Marinwood Ave at $4.
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California’s average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $4.10, up 40 cents since last month’s AAA report on July 10. Although that’s 37 cents less than California’s average price on this date last year, it’s up 39 cents from last month.
In addition to the refinery fire, gasoline prices have been broadly driven by higher global crude oil prices. There’s also been fresh concern about geopolitical tensions with Iran and what that could potentially mean to oil supplies from the region. This, coupled with a seasonal increase in demand due to the summer driving season, lent a hand in pushing gas prices up.
