News Service Florida
Contributor
Gasoline prices in Florida have shot up during the past week, as the battle between Israel and Iran escalates. The AAA auto club said Florida motorists paid an average of $3.10 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas on Monday, June 23, up 15 cents from a week earlier. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the Middle East conflict likely will continue to affect prices, with a “very limited potential” to raise the national average to $3.50 a gallon. AAA said the national average Monday was $3.22 a gallon, up eight cents from a week earlier. “Initial oil market reaction is limited,” De Haan wrote Sunday. “WTI (West Texas Intermediate) up (about) three percent to $77 (a barrel), a bit softer response (thus far) than I anticipated ... meaning gas prices are likely to continue moving higher, but inching up instead of spiking.” Florida’s lowest average price Monday was in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area at $2.91 a gallon, according to AAA. The highest average was $3.25 a gallon in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area.