COLUMBUS, Ohio – Trouble at refineries both along the West Coast and in the Midwest have sent gas prices in Columbus and other parts of the soaring, while drivers enjoy much lower prices in other states.
According to a daily survey by the AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express, the average retail price of regular gas in Columbus skyrocketed 16 cents over the weekend to $3.87 a gallon, more than 20 cents higher than the national average.
The latest Lundberg Survey of gas stations finds the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded has shot up a little more than 11 cents in the past two weeks to $3.65.
Simultaneous outages and extended maintenance have curbed output at refineries in Illinois, Indians, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Drivers in Minneapolis have been are shelling out at least $4.27, making for the highest prices in the country.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar wants the Energy Department to step in and forbid refineries from conduction routine maintenance at the same time as others in the same region.