Oil prices have now decreased about 17 percent from their all-time high in early July. Regarding oil prices and their immediate or delayed effect on local gasoline prices, Peacock said he's not sure anyone really understands that complicated relationship.

"Generally, these prices take time to work through the system," he said.

That said, he noted that sometimes it does appear that gasoline prices change much faster after oil-price increases than following decreases. But he said that's simply how it appears, when other factors in the oil industry from weeks prior may actually be making the difference instead.

Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, said that office has no plans to investigate Utah's gasoline prices. That's because the gasoline industry has proven almost impossible to adequately investigate in previous attempts, he said.

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said, "Currently, we do not have plans for an investigation in gas prices. However, the Department of Commerce monitors this information for us, as well."

Utah currently has the seventh-highest gasoline cost in the nation at $4.189 cents a gallon. All the Western states, excluding Arizona and New Mexico, are in the top 14 for the highest gas prices.

The state with the least-expensive gasoline average is Oklahoma at $3.655.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com

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