Refinery maintenance issues are keeping gas prices up.
Gas prices in Delaware did drop to $2.08 a gallon, down five cents from a week earlier, Wilmington-based AAA Mid-Atlantic reported. Crude oil prices were down slightly from a week ago.
A few stations near Newark and in Dover with $2 a gallon gas.
Delaware is poised to have the cheapest gas in the region when New Jersey sees a 23-cent increase in its gas tax in November. Maryland gas taxes are a few cents higher than those of Delaware, with Pennsylvania having the highest gas taxes in the nation.
Gas taxes in Pennsylvania have become a campaign issue as nonstop attack ads berate a few legislators who voted for the increase.
One reason local prices have not dropped to $2 involves refinery maintenance.
Supplies have tightened due to unscheduled maintenance at Delta’s Monroe Energy refinery in Trainer, PA, near the Philadelphia International Airport.
CURRENT AND PAST GAS PRICE AVERAGES
Regular Unleaded Gasoline (*indicates record high)
| 6/17/2016 | Week Ago | Year Ago | |
| National | $2.21 | $2.22 | $2.18 |
| Pennsylvania | $2.40 | $2.40 | $2.30 |
| Philadelphia (5-county) | $2.36 | $2.36 | $2.26 |
| South Jersey | $1.99 | $1.99 | $1.88 |
| Wilkes-Barre | $2.44 | $2.40 | $2.30 |
| Delaware | $2.08 | $2.13 | $2.06 |
| Crude Oil |
$48.70 per barrel |
$50.85 per barrel |
$52.18 per barrel |
“This year’s seasonal refinery maintenance continues across the United States and select regional markets are still under pressure as a result of planned and unplanned maintenance,” says Jana L. Tidwell, manager of public and government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “On the other hand, refiners are now able to offer a cheaper winter-blend gasoline and demand is dropping, so AAA expects that prices will follow demand downward in most parts of the country by November, barring any major event like a hurricane, storm, etc.”
Regional pump prices may continue to be affected by local refinery maintenance. Another element potentially impacting future supply in the region is two critical Canadian refineries that send gasoline to the Eastern Seaboard have not been contributing much gasoline to the area due to maintenance.
