AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; Pump Prices Make U-Turn, Move Higher

HOUSTON--Jan. 6, 2006--After only one week of declines, gasoline prices began the New Year by moving higher, according to the AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch.

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular self serve is $2.197 a gallon -- a weekly increase of six cents. Dallas beat its neighboring Fort Worth by three-tenths of a cent to have the highest average on the list for the fourth straight week. In Dallas, gas averages $2.234 a gallon -- up eight cents. The city of Fort Worth averages $2.231 a gallon -- up nine cents. Corpus Christi jumped 11 cents to $2.113 a gallon -- the lowest average on the survey.

"Conditions indicate that motorists may see slight increases in retail gasoline prices within the next few days," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "Typically, pump prices in Texas move lower during this time of year due to a decrease in demand, but with crude oil trading around $63 a barrel that has yet to happen."

The national average for regular self-serve gasoline is $2.246 a gallon -- six cents higher than last week's average.

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline in Texas.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 AM, January 6, 2006

                           Weekly                 Weekly
Area             1/6/06    Change     12/30/05    Change    12/23/05
---------------- ------- ------------ --------- ----------- ---------
National         $2.246   +5.9 cents    $2.187  -2.1 cents   $2.208
State            $2.197   +6.4 cents    $2.133  -2.8 cents   $2.161
Austin - San
 Marcos          $2.168   +4.4 cents    $2.124  -1.6 cents   $2.140
Beaumont         $2.196   +4.6 cents    $2.150  -1.3 cents   $2.163
Corpus Christi   $2.113  +10.8 cents    $2.005  -6.8 cents   $2.073
Dallas           $2.234   +7.6 cents    $2.158  -2.7 cents   $2.185
Ft. Worth        $2.231   +8.5 cents    $2.146  -3.2 cents   $2.178
Galveston -
 Texas City      $2.216   +8.8 cents    $2.128  -3.2 cents   $2.160
Houston          $2.199   +6.8 cents    $2.131  -2.5 cents   $2.156
San Antonio      $2.137   +6.9 cents    $2.068  -2.2 cents   $2.090


Area               Record High      2004 Average
---------------- ---------------- ----------------
National          $3.057 (9/5/05)     $1.768
State             $2.964 (9/4/05)     $1.663
Austin - San
 Marcos           $2.918 (9/6/05)     $1.656
Beaumont          $2.930 (9/4/05)     $1.650
Corpus Christi    $2.929 (9/3/05)     $1.576
Dallas            $3.019 (9/4/05)     $1.665
Ft. Worth         $3.012 (9/4/05)     $1.652
Galveston -
 Texas City       $2.997 (9/4/05)     $1.649
Houston           $2.971 (9/6/05)     $1.648
San Antonio       $2.909 (9/4/05)     $1.610