Missouri gasoline inching to $2-a-gallon average, officials say

Gary Reutzel watched as the numbers on a gasoline pump spun furiously outside a Cape Girardeau convenience store Thursday. He shook his head as the final tally settled in past $17.

"I guess if I had to get by without gas, I could," said Reutzel, as he topped off his 2004 Toyota Avalon. "What are you going to do?"

More and more people may be asking that same question in the coming weeks as the cost of fuel is expected to continue to rise -- though at what pace and to what price is uncertain.

Gas prices are higher than they've been since late last year, and with oil prices spiking they're expected to keep climbing.

The U.S. Energy Department said the nationwide average price for a gallon of gas is already $1.91 -- about 22 cents more than motorists were paying a year ago, which was just a few months before prices hit historic highs.

Though Missouri is enjoying some of the lowest gas prices in the country, they continue to be nearly 20 percent higher than at the same time last year, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' energy bulletin.

Regular gasoline prices increased 19 cents per gallon in Missouri from last month, reaching an average of $1.80 a gallon as of Feb. 7, or 19 percent higher than at the same time last year.

The department said retail gasoline prices are higher because of a high amount of gasoline in storage, improved imports and lower consumer demand. Seasonal demand is expected to increase the average price of gasoline in Missourito more than $2 a gallon by spring. Last year, the closest it came to reaching that high in Cape Girardeau was $1.99 in May.

In the Cape Girardeau area, prices varied on Thursday. At Kidd's on Broadway, regular fuel cost $1.70 a gallon. At Citgo down the street, it was $1.74 Thursday during the noon hour. At Rhodes 101 Stop on North Kingshighway, it was $1.79.

"The indications we've gotten is that OPEC's slowed down production, plus with the cost of crude oil," said Jim Maurer, co-owner of Rhodes 101. "I know those are the old standbys, but that seems to be what's happening."

Maurer said prices had gone up about a nickel over the past few days.

" I don't like it at this price more than anybody else does, but we've been higher," he said. "It's just a little bit of an upswing now. We'll just have to watch it."

Meanwhile, motorists like Reutzel said it's nothing to become alarmed about.

"I pay attention to it, but it's not anything I panic over," he said. "I'd rather it wasn't this high, but my dad worked in the pipeline industry and he said that gas was always one of the best bargains we got."

Reutzel paused before adding: "Of course that's back when it was under $1 a gallon."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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