Gas prices in Texas are climbing as crude oil prices spike amid tensions in the Middle East, though drivers across the state are still paying less than the national average.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Texas stood at about $3.25 as of Wednesday, according to . That鈥檚 up from last month, when prices hovered around $2.55 per gallon throughout the state.
The main reason: a spike in crude oil prices 鈥� the main ingredient in gasoline 鈥� fueled in part by .
鈥淲hen you look at the bigger picture over the past week or two, you see an increase in crude oil prices, and that's after the U.S. intervention in Iran,鈥� said Daniel Armbruster, a spokesperson for AAA Texas.
Armbruster said oil prices have been fluctuating after the on Feb. 28. The has raised concerns over whether it鈥檒l disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world鈥檚 oil supply. Those fears pushed crude prices higher, though they鈥檝e eased slightly in recent days, Armbruster said.
鈥淚t's a fluid situation overseas,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o how that plays out in the coming weeks is going to be really important as to how long we see elevated gas prices.鈥�
Armbruster added that it鈥檚 difficult to predict whether prices will continue rising in the weeks ahead.
Oil prices had been slowly climbing since December but spiked in late February following the strikes. As of Wednesday, was trading at more than $86 per barrel, up from about $58 in October.
Even with the increase, Texas drivers continue to benefit from relatively lower prices compared with the rest of the country. As of Wednesday, sat at $3.58 per gallon.
This is the usual trend in Texas, according to Armbruster, who said the Lone Star State is typically among the states with the cheapest gas prices, partly because its proximity to Gulf Coast oil and refining keeps transportation costs lower.
As of Tuesday, Texas ranked 17th among states with the lowest average gas prices, according to Armbruster.
