Carson City pump price decreases, seen heading lower

All the gasoline stations surveyed in Carson City by GasBuddy.com Sunday and Monday posted pump prices of less than $3 per gallon.

Statewide and national prices dropped during the past week in a crude petroleum and retail pump price environment favoring motorists, according to the price-monitoring website, which prompted a petroleum analyst there to report the national decrease was “the largest weekly drop of the year.”

Even as Patrick DeHaan, the analyst, said the national price had fallen 12.8 cents in a week, his website said Nevada’s statewide average had fallen 5.5 cents in the same time frame and Carson City’s prices Monday ranged from $2.59 to $2.99 at 23 outlets surveyed in the state’s capital community.

The lowest three reported Sunday and Monday in the city were Costco, 700 Old Clear Creek Road, Gas & Save, 1360 S. Carson St., and JM Gasoline, 1321 N. Carson St.

The statewide average in a survey of 1,130 outlets across Nevada was $3.12 a gallon, so all those surveyed in Carson City were well under the state level. Nationally, the average hit $2.47 a gallon, or 12 cents under Carson City’s lowest outlets and 65 cents under Nevada’s average.

DeHaan made the case for motorists having things going their way almost everywhere, noting a price drop the past week in every state but Utah.

“The national average now stands at its lowest point since April, a fitting way to close out the summer driving season with Labor Day approaching,” he said.

DeHaan also said since the end of June, oil prices have fallen 23 percent while retail gas prices have fallen about half that percentage, so he predicted “gasoline prices will move lower again this week.”

U.S. crude surged $3.98, or nearly 9 percent, to $49.20 a barrel in New York, in Monday trading.