As gas prices hit their typical spring surge nationwide — surpassing $2 per gallon — the increases and Colorado and metro Denver were more subdued this past week.
The average price for a regular gallon of unleaded fuel in Colorado ticked up 1.5 cents to $1.95 per gallon, according to data released Monday. Denver’s average inched up by 0.3 cents to $1.91 per gallon.
Colorado’s increase was among the lowest in the nation.
States including New Jersey and South Carolina saw their averages climb by more than 10 cents per gallon.Arizona’s prices jumped by 14 cents in the past week to $2.04 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data.
The national average gained 5.6 cents to land at $2.04 per gallon.
Colorado had the gasoline in the nation five weeks ago. But since that time, the state’s motorists have seen prices jump by per gallon.
Seasonal refinery maintenance combined with the transition to the more expensive summer fuel blend and a slight rebound in crude helped to in Colorado and nationwide, GasBuddy analysts say.
“Until the bulk of refinery maintenance season wraps up in late May, we likely won’t see the lower oil prices immediately bring relief to the pump as oil and gasoline inventories continue to move in the opposite direction,” Patrick DeHaan, a GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst said in a statement.
“Last week, the pointed to a huge 9.4 million barrel rise in oil inventories while gasoline inventories fell nearly five million barrels, which points to continued tightness in supply and likely a continued rise in gasoline prices for the time being,” DeHaan said.
Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
