LOS ANGELES (AP) — One woman says she "thought it was a mistake on the sign" when she pulled into a Los Angeles gas station and found gas selling for $4.65 a gallon. Nancy Garcia says she couldn't afford to fill her tank all the way.
Across California, gasoline prices have reached a new all-time high for the state.
Gas prices are up another four cents a gallon since yesterday -- giving California the most expensive gas in the country at $4.65 and a half a gallon. In some locations, motorists are paying $5 or more.
One analyst says some relief is in sight, but not for a couple of days. Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy.com says until then, the average price could peak as high as $4.85.
According to analysts, a series of refinery and transmission problems is to blame for the price spike. And they say the situation is compounded by a California pollution law that requires a special blend of cleaner-burning gasoline from April to October.
%@AP Links
041-a-06-(Scott Gharaibeh (guh-RY'-bay), motorist, in interview)-"the big bucks"-Motorist Scott Gharaibeh says the soaring cost of gas in California is hurting his pocketbook. COURTESY: KNBC TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (7 Oct 2012)
<<CUT *041 (10/07/12)>> 00:06 "the big bucks"
043-a-04-(Gabriel Rivera, motorist, in interview)-"riding I guess (laughs)"-Motorist Gabriel Rivera says with some California gas stations charging nearly six dollars a gallon, he's thinking about other options. COURTESY: KNBC TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (7 Oct 2012)
<<CUT *043 (10/07/12)>> 00:04 "riding I guess (laughs)"
046-a-12-(Michael Green, spokesman, AAA, in AP interview)-"before seen before"-Triple-A spokesman Michael Green says some refinery disruptions have led to the record gas prices in California. (7 Oct 2012)
<<CUT *046 (10/07/12)>> 00:12 "before seen before"
APPHOTO CAMT102: A motorist gases up at a station in the Calabasas area of Los Angeles Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. The price of gasoline hit an all-time average high in California of $4.6140 a gallon Saturday, fueled by a reduced supply and a volatile market. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (6 Oct 2012)
<<APPHOTO CAMT102 (10/06/12)>>
APPHOTO LA112: Costco members fill up with discounted gasoline at a Costco gas station in Van Nuys, Calif., Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. Californians woke up to a shock Friday as overnight gasoline prices jumped by as much as 20 cents a gallon in some areas, ending a week of soaring costs that saw some stations close and others charge record prices. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) (5 Oct 2012)
<<APPHOTO LA112 (10/05/12)>>
