By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Average retail gasoline prices in Louisiana have risen 0.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.27/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 2,436 gas outlets in Louisiana.
This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.5 cents per gallon in the
last week to $3.49/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.
Including the change in gas prices in Louisiana during the past week, prices yesterday were 16.8 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 1.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 14.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 7.8 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.
In the LaPlace area, prices ranged from $3.34 at the Shell station on Airline Highway near LaPlace Park to $3.14 per gallon at the Citgo station at Airline and Hemlock Street.
“After blaming higher gasoline prices on refineries for much of the early spring and summer, it now seems that higher oil prices may be to blame for an expected uptick in the national average,” said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. “Oil prices have silently been tracking higher after tension in Egypt started to impact the market, driving oil prices higher. In turn, gasoline prices have begun to stage a rally as well. Oil closed last week at its highest level in over a year, and it may lead to a gentler rally in retail gas price than what we saw earlier this year, but a rally none the less,” DeHaan said.