Gas prices rise in Wichita
Drivers are shelling out more at the pump in Wichita, according to the latest Gasbuddy.com survey.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded jumped nearly 10 cents in the past week in the area to average $2.02 per gallon, according to the survey. Gas in Wichita is still cheaper than the latest national average, which is $2.11 per gallon.
Most stations in Wichita now charge more than $2 per gallon, though the average price is still more than 26 cents per gallon lower than at the same time a year ago, the survey said. Gasbuddy’s daily survey receives information from 185 fuel outlets in Wichita.
Patrick DeHaan, a petroleum analyst for Gasbuddy, said crude prices have spiked in recent weeks due to speculation of a freeze in oil output on the heels of last weekend’s meeting of major oil producers in Qatar.
Crude prices fell, however, in trading early Monday after producers failed to reach agreement on a deal to freeze output, according to reports.
“No decision was made, which was not at all a surprise given the recent disagreements between major players Saudi Arabia and Iran,” DeHaan said. “There is an oil-worker strike now in Kuwait, which could offset the effects of the lack of agreement in Doha (Qatar) over the weekend.”
Barring an unexpected disruption in the market, DeHaan said the price for a gallon of regular unleaded is expected to average in the low-to-mid $2 range this summer.
“We’re expecting the lowest summer prices at the pump in about a decade,” DeHaan said. “If you have vacation time, it’s likely going to be a great time to hit the road and take a trip.”
The current average price is 15 cents per gallon higher than a month ago, the survey said. The highest mid-April average price for gas in Wichita in the past five years occurred in 2012 when customers paid $3.65.
Statewide, a gallon of gas now averages $1.97 in Kansas, according to the Gasbuddy survey.
Bryan Horwath: 316-269-6708, @bryan_horwath
This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Gas prices rise in Wichita."