By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Even though the fundamentals look like gas prices should be going down, they're actually going up slightly.
"We saw a decrease in demand following the Thanksgiving holiday," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "We actually saw crude oil prices hit their highest price point in nine months, going up to $46 a barrel in the past week."
This has to do with decisions made by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
"OPEC and their allies agreed to increase crude oil production by 500,000 barrels per day to a total of 7.2 million a day beginning in January," Steward said. "That's a move that just happened."
In light of that, gas prices are still relatively low in Kansas and in Reno County.
"Kansas right now is at $1.94 a gallon," Steward said. "One year ago, we were at $2.29. We're 35 cents cheaper than we were a year ago. Hutchinson and Reno County are at $1.95, just about the state average."
Steward is still watching how COVID-19 impacts Christmas travel numbers to see if gas will go up more between now and the end of the year.