Minnesotans pay more than national average for gas

Minnesotans as of Monday were paying 17 cents more for gas than the national average. It's unusual for the state to be well over the national average. Maintenance issues at oil refineries in Chicago are to blame, a spokesperson for AAA told KARE 11.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Updated:: Mar 8, 2018
Original:: Jun 26, 2012

As of Monday, the average price for regular gas was $3.58 in Minnesota. Nationally, the average was $3.41, KARE 11 reports.

Gail Weinholzer, a spokesperson for AAA, told KARE 11 that maintenance problems at oil refineries in Chicago are to blame.

Twin Cities Gas Prices offers a snapshot of where you might find the cheapest gas locally.

The price of oil worldwide declined Monday as Spain’s banking crisis added to concerns about the troubled European economy, the Associated Press reported. A tropical storm also moved away from the heart of America’s oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, reducing the chances for a sustained disruption in U.S. supplies.

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As of Tuesday, AAA reported gas prices in Minnesota had jumped 19 cents per gallon over the past seven days -- 18 cents higher than the national average. Experts say the culprit is Chicago. The Pioneer Press reports the metropolis is fueled by a number of Midwest refineries, but three of those refineries have been completely or partially off-line for maintenance.

The average price for a gallon fell 13.6 cents to $3.49 over the weekend. It's good news, of course, but experts warn that the market is still very sensitive to global politics.

Prices for a gallon of gasoline in the Bemidji area are among some of the highest in the country according to AAA. Spokeswoman Gail Weinholzer tells Minnesota Public Radio that Hurricane Isaac as well as a pipeline problem in Wisconsin and refinery problems in Chicago have bumped prices up at the pump. Minnesota's average is $3.95, which is eight cents higher than the national average.

Gas prices are going down and in fact are lower now than they were last year. One expert says refineries are wrapping up maintenance and getting back to production.

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AAA says Minnesota's gas prices are up about 7 cents in a week, and 27 cents in a month.

Experts predict the cost of a gallon of fuel in the Twin Cities will continue to rise over the next few weeks. The average price of gas in the metro jumped more than 10 cents in the past week -- averaging $3.55 per gallon. That's higher than the national average.

Gas prices have come down an average of 18 cents from a week ago, and about 33 cents from one month ago, according to twincitiesgasprices.com. The cheapest gas is in Bloomington (more than a dozen stations had gas in the $3.23-3.29 range.) The three most expensive stations were in South St. Paul ($3.99), North St. Paul ($3.98) and Minneapolis ($3.74).