AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; Gas Prices Drop for Second Straight Week.

HOUSTON -- Retail gasoline prices dropped for a second straight week, according to AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch.

The national average for regular self-serve gasoline is $1.841 a gallon - down a penny compared to last week. The Texas average for a gallon of regular self-serve also dropped two pennies to $1.752 a gallon, up 19.8 cents compared to last year's average of $1.554.

Houston posted the biggest weekly decrease this week of nearly four cents a gallon to $1.731. Corpus Christi still has the cheapest gas at $1.682 a gallon, down almost two pennies. San Antonio is slightly higher at $1.697 a gallon - two cents less than a week ago. Dallas dropped two cents, but remains the highest priced on the list at $1.771 a gallon.

"With the summer driving season officially behind us, motorists can expect lower retail gasoline prices, barring any domestic or international events that could affect refining," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "That's why all eyes are on Hurricane Ivan. Hurricanes Charley and Frances left Florida's gasoline inventories badly depleted, largely due to high consumer demand. The latest reports indicate that Ivan may reach the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, where the U.S. has its largest concentration of refineries. Any refinery damage and continued high demand could affect both supply and pricing."

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for automobile trips.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 a.m., Sept. 10, 2004:

                               Weekly            New           Year
Area               Current     Change        Record Price    Ago Price
-----------------  -------  ------------   ----------------  ---------

National           $1.841   - 1.1 cents    $2.054 (5/26/04)   $1.701

State              $1.752   - 2.0 cents    $1.927 (5/26/04)   $1.554

Austin-San Marcos  $1.723   - 2.1 cents    $1.929 (5/27/04)   $1.532

Beaumont           $1.721   - 2.0 cents    $1.903 (6/1/04)    $1.548

Corpus Christi     $1.682   - 1.6 cents    $1.925 (5/26/04)   $1.513

Dallas             $1.771   - 2.0 cents    $1.932 (5/27/04)   $1.574

Fort Worth         $1.753   - 2.4 cents    $1.924 (5/28/04)   $1.561

Galveston -        $1.733   - 1.6 cents    $1.922 (6/1/04)    $1.559
Texas City

Houston            $1.731   - 3.6 cents    $1.909 (6/1/04)    $1.560

San Antonio        $1.697   - 2.3 cents    $1.952 (5/26/04)   $1.514

AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, travel agency, financial products, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' Web site at www.aaa-texas.com.