Gas prices edge up again

The average price for regular unleaded gasoline is lower than it was a month ago, but it's edging up again.

According to the latest survey by AAA Nevada, Carson City had the biggest jump in gas prices among the Nevada cities polled, up 9 cents to $1.74 per gallon for regular unleaded.

Reno's prices averaged 1 cent higher, or $1.75 per gallon,. Las Vegas saw the biggest drop in Nevada, its prices down 8 cents to $1.73 per gallon.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline statewide is $1.73. That figure is 8 cents lower than the last AAA survey May 14, but a full 22 cents higher that the national average of $1.51 per gallon.

Three California refineries -- Valero Energy's Benicia refinery, Shell Oil's Martinez refinery and Tesoro Petroleum's Golden Eagle refinery near Martinez -- are blamed for lessening supplies and boosting wholesale prices, according to the Oakland Tribune.

The California Energy Commission said statewide gasoline production was 910,000 barrels a day last week, down from a typical 1.1 million barrels a day at this time of year.

Another factor is the price of crude oil, on the rise amid speculation about high summertime demand and concerns over the time taken to return Iraq to prewar production levels.

The AAA study said California's prices fell 9 cents, to $1.82 per gallon for regular unleaded.

California operates its own reformulated gasoline program with more stringent requirements than federally mandated clean gasolines. E

More than 60,000 self-serve stations are surveyed every day nationwide for AAA's Fuel Gage Report. The data is provided in cooperation with OPIS Energy Group and Wright Express, LLC.