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SALT LAKE CITY -- Analysts expect the national average price of a gallon of gas to go above $4 by the end of the week.
Sunday, the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.92. In Utah, the average is closer to $3.71.
The Oil Price Information Service says less oil production is in part to blame for the expected price hike. Three refineries serving the east coast were shut down last fall.
The season has just as much to do with it, however, as federal law requires oil companies to make a cleaner blend of gas through spring for summer, when travelling picks up. Demand for gasoline tends to drop off in winter, making it the perfect time for refineries to get ready for summer, when the objective is to produce as much fuel as possible. The catch is that the refining industry's version of spring cleaning causes supplies to shrink and prices to rise.
During this period when refiners are doing maintenance and making summer gasoline, the odds of an unexpected supply disruption rise, analysts say.
Contributing: Associated Press
