Woodland Hills Gas Prices Rise on Spike in Wholesale Costs

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose today for the third time in four days, up 1.1 cents to $2.475.

The Los Angeles County average price had gone down for 23 days before last week. It is unchanged from one week ago, but 17.1 cents less than one month ago and $1.143 lower than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

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The average price rose one-tenth of a cent on Thursday, dropped two- tenths of a cent on Friday and increased a half-cent on Saturday. It had dropped 22.4 cents during the 23-day streak of decreases, to its lowest amount since May 14, 2009.

The rising pump prices follow a recent sharp increase in wholesale prices, after they dropped to a six-year low.

The wholesale price increase is not unexpected, but a yearly occurrence as investors anticipate a tightening of supply from local refineries, as they prepare equipment to switch to summer fuel blends, according to Jeffrey Spring, the corporate communications manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Air quality regulations require most Southern California gas stations to sell different blends of gas in summer and winter, to reduce air pollution in the differing seasons.

• City News Service

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