What’s Up With Gas Prices in West Texas?
Great picture, huh? Been a while since we've seen prices anywhere close to that here in the Permian Basin--even WITH discounts from certain retailers or clubs we're in at the grocery store to use points to save per gallon. While it's nowhere near what we were paying in Chicago (which is a relief!) it's still way higher than it was when we moved here last July. So what gives?
Doing a simple on line search brings you stories like this one from CNBC back when we had our week of the Snowpocalypse and our world shut down for a week... According to that article, oil prices are up so gas prices are up, and the closing of refineries etc in Texas is the reason. I'm sure the closing of the Keystone Pipeline is also a part of the reason why oil costs are rising, although no one is mentioning that. I hadn't noticed the 5 cent increase the week prior to the cold snap where we had our difficulties maintaining power-but apparently there was one. CNBC also says in this article that they projected another 10 cent spike, but that it would only be temporary.
Guess that will remain to be seen. What we are used to being from the Midwest where the cold happens pretty much from Halloween thru Easter and sometimes even beyond--is that the gas prices (already usually higher than the National average) tend to go higher on Fridays and thru the weekend then back down on Tuesdays. Haven't really had the chance to pay too much attention here to that sort of thing since moving here. All I know is that with the warm weather comes travelling season and that's when they used to get everyone back home with higher prices. Fingers crossed, as they say, that it IS in fact only temporary.