$3 AND UP AT PUMP IN '07? GASOLINE PRICE CLIMB MAY BEGIN IN MID-FEBRUARY, ANALYSTS PREDICT.Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer Enjoy gas prices under $3 while you can because come February, drivers can expect to take a hammering at the pump, analysts predict. ``Gas is going to go north of $3 on the West Coast quite commonly in 2007,'' said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service. Prices should fall in January when demand hits rock bottom, then start climbing around Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. . The outlook for 2007 is more harsh than in the past partly because demand continues to rise while refineries that serve California have not increased their output, Kloza said. He conservatively estimated gas prices would settle in the $3 to $3.40 range. Prices increased in recent weeks because refineries have lowered their output while performing maintenance. California requires a special fuel because of clean-air laws, and a limited number of refineries make it. It's also a more expensive refining process. ``In California we don't have a lot of backup sources for refined gasoline,'' said Elaine Beno, spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California The Automobile Club of Southern California was founded December 13, 1900 in Los Angeles as one of the nation's first motor clubs dedicated to improving roads, proposing traffic laws and improvement of overall driving conditions. . It was unclear whether a surge in travelers around the holidays contributed to rising gas prices over the past three weeks. Thursday's average price for a gallon of regular in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and Long Beach was $2.63, Beno said. A barrel of crude oil sold for $60 Thursday, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Web site gaspricewatch.com, which lets individuals list gas prices they see and search for other reported prices. The nation's highest gas prices are usually found in Hawaii, but Thursday morning, Desert Center near Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park, 1,022,703 acres (414,050 hectares), S California. Lying between the high Mojave Desert and the low Colorado Desert, this park has a unique ecosystem in which are preserved rare Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia claimed the honor of the highest price. A gallon of regular unleaded sold for $3.39 there, according to gaspricewatch.com. Soon, that price could become commonplace. And consumers should be prepared to hear predictions as high as $4 a gallon, Kloza warned. ``But they tend to come from people who like to see their names quoted in newspapers,'' Kloza said. Charles Smith Charles Smith may refer to: In basketball:
``Fantastic, I can't wait for that,'' said Smith, 42, of West Hills as he fueled up his Dodge Ram
The Ram is a full-size pickup truck from Chrysler LLC's Dodge brand. The name was first used in 1981 on the redesigned Ram and Power Ram, though it came from the hood ornament used on at the 76 station on Fallbrook Avenue and Oxnard Street, where regular unleaded went for $2.59 a gallon. ``Two years ago they were grooming us for $2 a gallon.'' Smith uses a big 345-horsepower truck because as a carpenter he needs to lug (1) (Linux Users Group) A formal or informal organization of Linux users who gather together virtually or in person to exchange information and resources. Some groups maintain mailing lists and send out newsletters for their members. around heavy materials, and he often tows his boat. The Ram gets 14 to 18 miles per gallon Noun 1. miles per gallon - the distance traveled in a vehicle powered by one gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel unit, unit of measurement - any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange; "the dollar is the United States unit of , he said. Gas prices have already pushed Pat Hank to cut back her driving. Instead of motoring from her home in Calabasas to the East Valley three times a week for errands, she makes a big trip once a week and shaves $100 off her weekly gas tab. ``Since this whole thing started, I combine trips,'' said Hank, 60, as she pumped gas into her Jeep Grand Cherokee The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a mid-size sport utility vehicle produced by the Jeep division of DaimlerChrysler. European Grand Cherokees are manufactured in Austria by Magna Steyr. Development The Grand Cherokee was a spinoff of the smaller Jeep Cherokee. . Jerry Ellner doesn't drive much because he is retired, but pump prices have made the 70-year-old from Calabasas think about scrapping his Lexus ES300. The sedan gets 18 mpg, which Ellner does not consider good mileage. ``One of the things I might consider,'' he said, ``is a hybrid.'' julia.scott(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3735 Prices at a glance Regular unleaded gas prices Around the country: High: $3.39 in Desert Center, CA Low: $1.99 in Jackson, MO Around the Valley: High: $2.69 in Reseda Low: $2.49 in Burbank (Costco membership required) SOURCE: gaspricewatch.com CAPTION(S): box Box: Prices at a glance (see text) |
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