Utah gas prices hold steady

Utah motorists received a relative reprieve from rapidly rising gasoline prices during the past month.

While Utah's average for a gallon of regular self-serve rose just 2 cents, the national average was up 7 cents during that time.

Utah's average is $2.30, while the national figure is $2.36, AAA Utah reported on Tuesday. The organization also said only 18 states have fuel prices lower than Utah's.

Much of Utah experienced little or no change from February. Among selected cities tracked by AAA, Moab, Ogden, Provo and St. George average prices were unchanged. Salt Lake's average of $2.24 was down a penny from February. Logan's average rose 3 cents to $2.33, while Vernal's increased 4 cents to $2.36.

AAA Utah surveys a limited number of communities across the state in its monthly gas report. Individual service stations sell gas at both higher and lower prices, sometimes even in the same city block.

The relatively minor price swings in Utah were mirrored throughout the Intermountain West, with the exception of Colorado. That state's average fell 6 cents in February but has jumped 11 cents since then to $2.35.

Meanwhile, a 3-cent rise occurred in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Arizona's average fell 3 cents to $2.37. Nevada's drop of 4 cents put its average at $2.45. California's rose a penny to $2.57.

"As refineries begin their seasonal switchover to producing summer-grade fuels, gasoline prices fluctuate as the process temporarily reduces output," Rolayne Fairclough, spokeswoman for AAA Utah, said in a prepared statement. "If inventories were robust, prices would drop, explaining the rise and fall of prices throughout the country."

The AAA gas-price news Tuesday came while gasoline futures surged nearly 7 percent on word of a large refinery snag, marking an almost 50-cent-per-gallon increase over the past month that is sure to send pump prices higher.

"We are looking at retail prices that will soon be above $2.50 a gallon nationally, and could perhaps eclipse the $2.60 per gallon" level, said analyst Tom Kloza at Oil Price Information Service, based in Wall, N.J.

The average retail price of unleaded gasoline was $2.37 a gallon last week — the highest level since November, according to the Energy Department.