The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County recorded its largest daily increase since at least 2008 on Thursday, rising 8.8 cents to $4.347—its highest amount since May 22.
The average price has increased by more than 1 cent on each of the past six days and is 20.7 cents more than a week ago, 17.4 cents higher than a month ago and 51.4 cents greater than at this time last year, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
Just in the past two days, the average for self-serve regular has risen 14.6 cents in Los Angeles County.
The increases since Monday are the result of a power failure at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery which may cause it to flare gases for a week, reducing gasoline supplies, Marie Montgomery Nordhues of the Automobile Club of Southern California told City News Service.
That power failure is also the cause of a sulfer-like odor that's hung over the South Bay over the past couple days, according to the Daily Breeze.
Bob van der Valk, an independent petroleum industry analyst, told KNX radio, “Right now, gas stations are trying to wean out what they have of the 'summer blend.' There is absolutely none available.”
Refineries have already switched over to “winter blend,” which burns cleaner at cooler temperatures; however, it can't be sold in California until after Halloween because of clean-air rules.
—City News Service contributed to this report.
