Refinery Incident Adds More Fuel To Gas Price Increases

Three-dollar-a-gallon signs have begun springing up at Southern California gas stations again as prices continue surging, now further fueled by a Torrance refinery incident that may affect supply temporarily, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $2.835 a gallon for regular today, 12.3 cents more than last week.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.901 per gallon, which is 12.7 cents more than last week, 37 cents more than last month, and 89 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $2.873, which is 13.5 cents more than last week, 38 cents higher than last month, and 93 cents lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.891, 14 cents more than last week, 29 cents higher than a month ago, and 91 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $2.865, up 14.3 cents from last week, 39 cents more than last month, and 92 cents less than last year.

“Some oil industry analysts are right now predicting a modest impact on prices of about 12 cents a gallon as a result of the Wednesday explosion damaging the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, because the facility is remaining partially open,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “However, upward gas price pressure will likely occur from other sources from now through May, when prices traditionally peak. A ‘good’ price for Southern California gas today is $2.60 to $2.70 a gallon in most areas.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Feb. 19, averages are: