By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The fundamentals behind the price at the pump are headed in a higher direction again this week.
"High crude oil prices are pushing the average gas prices up both nationally and in Kansas," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "At the close of Thursday's trading, West Texas Intermediate Crude was trading at more than $78 a barrel. That's up more than three dollars from the previous weeks."
That's contributing to gas prices nationally that are the highest in several years.
"Since Monday, the national average gas price has risen by four cents to $3.24 a gallon," Steward said. "That's a price that we haven't seen since October 2014."
Prices are still lower in Kansas than nationwide.
"We are up three cents in the last week to an average today of $2.97 a gallon," Steward said. "That still puts us at eighth-cheapest in the country. Reno County is $2.96 a gallon, about a cent cheaper than the statewide average."
Part of what is pushing crude prices higher is OPEC going back on what was an anticipated increase in production later this year.