Maintenance work at a Texas refinery has helped gas prices in Colorado vault above the $2 per gallon mark, fuel analysts say.
During the past week, the state average jumped 12 cents to $2.05 per gallon, according to data released Monday. Metro Denver prices, on average, increased 14.6 cents to $2.04 per gallon, according to the fuel data and price website.
Nationally, prices climbed 6.9 cents to $2.11 per gallon.
While speculation on a freeze in oil output triggered prices to rise in all but one state, Colorado’s hike is directly attributed to spring maintenance work at a Phillips 66 refinery in Borger, Texas, said Will Speer, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.
The facility is in the middle of semi-annual maintenance, he said. The work is under way and expected to be complete before Memorial Day and the summer fuel rush, he said.
“Maintenance takes a couple weeks,” Speer said. “We’d expect another week or two (at the Borger facility).”
When that work is completed, it will give prices a chance to move downward, he said.
Colorado gas prices could drop slightly lower in the coming week now that crude has started to tumble.
after oil-producing nations failed to reach an agreement on halting production.
Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
