Oregon Gasoline Prices Climbing; Diesel at Record Highs across the State

Oregon gasoline prices on the rise; national dropping. Big story is price of diesel. National avg. is up only 2-cents per gallon since last week. Oregon is up 15-cents per gallon to $3.35.

(SALEM) - As the national average gasoline price backed off by about 4-cents to $3 per gallon during the past week, Oregon's average price went up by almost a nickel to $3.04.

Salem’s price of $2.98.9 comes in just behind Portland’s $2.98.4. Vancouver, Washington’s self-serve price of $2.96.6 is the best in this section of the Northwest. Eugene’s average price is $303.4, while Medford/Ashland drivers are paying an average of $3.10.2 for a gallon of regular gas.

"Essentially, we still have the same forces driving the price of crude oil, which dipped slightly, closing Monday at less than $74 per barrel and the wholesale gasoline price fell by more than 7-cents to just under $2 per gallon," said AAA Oregon Public Affairs Director Elliott Eki. "As we approach Labor Day, fuel demand likely will go up as families get in their last getaway of the summer before schools reopen, but, once the holiday passes, demand should go down and fuel prices should start falling."

The headlines, this week though, belong to diesel fuel. In Oregon, the average price of diesel jumped by 15 cents per gallon during the past week, hitting a new record high $3.35. That compares to only a 2-cent per gallon increase in the national average diesel price, which currently stands at $3.12.

There were not figures specifically for Salem, but of the state's four measured metro areas, Medford-Ashland has the highest average price at $3.40. According to reports, west coast diesel inventories are tight due to a recent, but brief, refinery problem. In addition, meeting the new lower-sulfur content standards has slowed refinery production.

In California, diesel averages $3.35 per gallon; in Washington, it’s up 17 cents to $3.48; in Idaho, it rose another 15-cents to $3.49; and, in Nevada, it's $3.23. At $3.04, Oregon’s average gasoline price climbs from 30th to19th highest in the nation. Hawaii has the highest statewide average price at $3.37. California’s went up to $3.22; Nevada’s crept up to $3.07; Washington’s is up to $3.09, and Idaho’s rose 4-cents to $3.02. South Carolina has the lowest statewide average price at $2.82.

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Comments

Comments are Closed on this story.

The Editor August 16, 2006 10:56 pm (Pacific time)

Ria, You are free to leave any comment you like and you do not have to live on this side of the country to do it. I will answer your question from my end; the reason it seems important to me as the news editor is because we track gas prices around the state in each report and our city usually has the best prices in Oregon. If Portland sneaks ahead, it can always only be measured by tenths. I just prefer accuracy and clarity over technical passage. It's all about what works for the human eye.

Ria August 16, 2006 10:36 pm (Pacific time)

Since I am no longer a west coast resident I was reluctant to comment on this particular thread but, (I will anyway). Since we all know that there is an additional 9/10ths added to the cost of each gallon of gas why write it? And when did we start pricing gas with 4/10ths, 6/10ths and 2/10ths (shouldn't that mathematically be 1/5th?) on gas per gallon? Have things changed that much in the past 10 years or is this just an Oregonian thing?

The Editor August 16, 2006 8:17 pm (Pacific time)

OK, you guys win. I do not agree from a visual standpoint, but I also do not seek to kill our language in the process. As a person who often uses a camera to tell stories, I have a great appreciation for the visual side of life, and I still don't like being technically correct over usefully correct. I remember a friend who was a teacher freaking out over the beginning of a sentence in a TV script that began with "And". While that is not grammatically correct, we use it all day long in writing the spoken word. Go figure, I relent the point about the gas price number because I don't like being called ignorant, but I still think it looks funny. Tim King

RBob August 16, 2006 8:15 pm (Pacific time)

Thanks for your report on diesel prices, often ignored. Diesel today was selling in Grants Pass for a range of $3.24 at Fred's to $3.50 at a couple stations. I think that is price gouging.

KY Ken August 16, 2006 7:08 pm (Pacific time)

It may look easier to read to you, but also looks ignorant on your part to leave it in there. According to most filling stations you pass, prices are written $x.xx and 9/10. That would be most appropriate in regards to consistency.

Dan August 16, 2006 5:09 pm (Pacific time)

I agree with Anon that 2.89.9 is not properly formatted. 2.989 is correct, and I think it's entirely readable. On a related note: Whichever bureaucrat decided that gas prices should be down to 10ths of a cent needs to be taken out and beaten. In a day and age where they are seriously considering getting rid of the penny, we still record price of a commodity down to 10ths of a cent? Utterly ridiculous.

The Editor August 16, 2006 10:23 am (Pacific time)

Anon, I respectfully disagree with you, why do you think the decimal point should be removed? Either way, it is staying in the story, because $2.989 looks ridiculous when you try to read it. The last number is not part of the sum, it is a tenth. I ran service stations in the 80's, long before doing news, and that last number at least can have a decimal point. Even if it isn't perfect English, we are here to get a point across. Tim King

Emily Reimer August 16, 2006 10:00 am (Pacific time)

Thanks Anon for the Math lesson-I didn't catch it either. I liked the detailed report on diesel. I can rarely find articles on diesel prices. In the trucking business it is always good to know what others are paying. Keep it up. Thanks

Anon August 16, 2006 8:00 am (Pacific time)

Somebody needs to teach this writer about math. $2.98.9 is not a number. This should be written $2.989.

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