Gas prices continue to fluctuate across Delaware and the region this week and may head upward due to Hurricane - now Tropical Storm - Harvey.
AAA Mid-Atlantic Spokesman Ken Grant says Harvey will affect gas prices here in Delaware because our gas supply is tied to Gulf Coast area oil refineries through a pipeline.
Grant points out that 13 oil refineries along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast have been shut down because of damage left by Harvey; more rain could cause even more refineries to be shut down.
And he says that’s already sending local prices up.
“And we expect that to continue for a little bit," said Grant. "What it did was essentially shut down about a quarter of the oil refinery production in the Gulf region which is a significant part of the countries’ and certainly this regions’ refinery processing. So, we’re looking at continuing to feel a little bit of additional hurt on the wallet probably for the next week or so.”
Grant says the average price for a gallon of regular in Delaware was $2.25 Tuesday, up 5 cents from where it stood Monday.
In the Philadelphia area, regular is now averaging $2.56 per gallon and in New Jersey, the average price is $2.39 Tuesday.
During Hurricane Katrina, gas prices jumped 30-cents per gallon.