By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gas prices normally fall when the season changes. That hasn't been the case yet this year.
"Instead of taking that seasonal dip that we usually see, gas prices are still reflecting summertime levels, when demand was higher," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "The national average dropped a penny on the week to $3.18 a gallon. Kansas stayed exactly the same from where we were a week ago at $2.92."
That keeps Kansas in a relatively low-priced position.
"Reno County is at $2.91 a gallon," Steward said. "Kansas is $2.92 a gallon on average, that puts Kansas at 11th cheapest in the nation as of this week."
High crude oil prices have kept prices from dropping. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose to over $80 a barrel during the day on Tuesday, the most since October 2018.
"As long as those prices stay high, we're not likely to see a big change in prices at the pump," Steward said.
Investment bank Goldman Sachs said the benchmark could hit $90 per barrel by the end of the year. According to the Energy Information Administration, over half of the price at the pump is determined by the price of crude oil.