Fresno gas prices creeping up
Gasoline prices are creeping up again in Fresno, rising 5.4 cents in the last week to an average $2.64 for a gallon of unleaded Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com.
In the Visalia-Porterville area, prices are up 2.3 cents over the last week to $2.58.
Valley prices still are below the California average of $2.87.
Nationwide, GasBuddy said the average at-the-pump cost of gas is slightly less than $1.99 a gallon, a result of plentiful supplies and low crude oil prices.
Allison Mac, a Los Angeles-based petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, said the recent spikes throughout California were tied to a flurry of breakdowns and “maintenance issues” at multiple refineries in the state that produce the specific blend of gas required in California. That included refinery disruptions at a Chevron facility in El Segundo and Tesoro facilities in Martinez, Carson and Wilmington.
“Supply is still tight. I predict that prices should taper off by the end of this week as imports start to pick up and the refinery issues start to be fixed,” Mac said Monday.
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Fresno gas prices creeping up."