By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON — As spring turns to summer, gas prices are rising.
"Here in Kansas, we rose five cents over the past week," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "We're now at an average of $2.86 a gallon. The good news is, we're 20 cents less than the national average and we're 10th cheapest in the United States."
"We've seen a recent drop in demand after the Memorial Day weekend," Steward said.
Supplies are also getting more robust with refinery utilization at a high level. It's also looking like crude oil prices may drop soon.
"OPEC and its allies, including Russia, announced last week that they plan to gradually increase crude production in July," Steward said. "This could lead to a decrease in crude oil prices."
Crude oil accounts for more than 50% of the price at the pump.