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Gas prices at low, but will rise, says survey

Long gone are the days when a gallon of gas costs American drivers less than two dollars. With the war in Iraq waging, a devastating hurricane season striking the gulf Coast and international instability, especially in the oil-rich countries in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere too, gas prices have even recorded highs of over three dollars. The recent drop in gas prices seems to signal positive signs, or so we thought.

As gas prices dropped an average of nearly 15 cents a gallon in the last two weeks alone, from $2.42 to $2.28 on average for a gallon of self-service regular gasoline, and 75 cents since August 11, many counted on a recovery of the market. But it is not agreed by all that this is in fact an encouraging sign. Prices are expected to rise again as the winter approaches, says the new national Trilby Lundberg Survey.

The survey is based on figures which are compiled from more than 7,000 U.S. filling stations. From these numbers and market analysis, the survey believes that as the winter approaches, refining operations will shift from gasoline to home-heating oil, lowering the supply of gas on the market and pushing prices higher. "There is a turnaround in the making," the survey makers say.