Gas Prices Drop in State for 7th Week

California’s average retail gasoline price fell 5.7 cents per gallon while the U.S. average dropped 6.4 cents in the last week, a federal survey found Monday.

California motorists paid an average of $2.135 a gallon for self-serve regular gasoline, the seventh consecutive weekly decline, according to the Energy Information Administration, the Energy Department’s statistical arm. The average was 51.1 cents, or 31%, higher than a year ago.

The U.S. retail gas price fell for the sixth straight week to average $1.847 a gallon, up 38.2 cents, or 26%, from last year’s level.

Pump prices were highest on the West Coast, averaging $2.066 a gallon. Prices on the Gulf Coast averaged $1.761 a gallon and the average in the Midwest was $1.729.

One of the key factors behind the high price of gasoline is expensive oil -- the result of strong demand, geopolitical uncertainties and tight domestic supplies of heating oil. But gasoline prices have declined recently as refiners passed along lower costs for crude oil, which is down from a record $55.17 a barrel reached in October.

U.S. crude inventories have increased in the last three months as petroleum operations in the Gulf of Mexico recovered from the effects of Hurricane Ivan in September.

The price of crude-oil futures rose 30 cents to $41.01 a barrel Monday in New York. Oil is about 40% more expensive than a year ago. Gasoline futures climbed 2.13 cents to $1.101 a gallon.