The statewide gas price average in Texas is $2.87 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch. That price is two cents less than from this day last week and is 93 cents more per gallon compared to this day last year. Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in Texas, drivers in Odessa are paying the most on average at $3.05 per gallon while drivers in San Antonio are paying the least at $2.67 per gallon. The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.28, which is two cents less when compared to this day last week and $1.03 more than the price per gallon at this same time last year.
Gasoline prices have drifted downward over the past few days as concerns of an omicron-driven economic slowdown continue. However, the price slide may be interrupted by last week’s news of a severe fire at a major oil refinery. Last Thursday, four people were injured when a fire erupted at the Exxon Mobil Corp refinery in Baytown, Texas. The plant is one of the largest refining and petrochemical facilities in the United States. If the damage forces plant operations to be disrupted for an extended period of time, it could negatively affect gasoline prices. As a result, the recent steady decline in pump prices has slowed.
“More details should emerge in the coming days about the extent of the damage to the refinery,” said AAA Texas spokesperson Joshua Zuber. “If it can be back up and running normally in a few weeks, the effect could be minimal. But if repairs take months, consumers could begin seeing higher prices again at the pump.”
Drivers in Texas are paying the second lowest gas price average in the country, according to gasprices.aaa.com, as AAA Texas projects millions in the Lone Star State will travel over the year-end holiday season.
