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Gas prices expected to keep rising through Memorial Day

Gas prices are skyrocketing as the price of crude oil keeps going up.

Even though Texas is producing more crude oil, which is used to make the gas we use in our cars, we are still shelling out more money to fill up the tank.

The problem is the world is consuming so much more crude oil, so even as Texas produces more, the prices still come up. That upward trend is expected to continue through at least Memorial Day, when prices are expected to rise as much as another 15 cents a gallon.

"It's pretty expensive, I think. We are having to pay almost $30 for a full tank," said Marina, who was filling up her tank at a local Citgo.

"It just seems like they keep going up, but so is everything else. It's just kind of what I expect," said Brad, another driver.

"Gasoline is an independent commodity and it moves based on its own supply and demand," Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton said.

Patrick DeHaan, a Senior Petroleum Analyst with GasBuddy added, "OPEC cut production back to start 2017, and as a result, global inventories are much lower, and that is certainly offsetting the increase in U.S. domestic oil production."

Right now GasBuddy says the average price for a gallon of gas in San Antonio is $2.49. Some stations are as low as $2.29, others as high as $2.64. But all are well below the national average of $2.81. It could be a lot worse. Drivers in California are paying over $3.70 a gallon.

"Because of low gasoline taxes, as well as a lot of the infrastructure when it comes to crude oil production and oil refining, that keeps the price lower, being that much closer to both crude oil and refining capacity," DeHaan said.

Sitton added, "If it wasn't for the elevated Texas crude production and the increased refining production, gasoline prices would be much higher than they are today."

Does shopping around for cheap gas make sense? Our driver Brad said, "I honestly don't think it's worth it you drive around you are wasting gas trying to find cheap gas." That is true, but if you get a smartphone app like GasBuddy, you can find cheaper gas without driving around looking for it. And if you decide to buy a high-end vehicle, you can expect to pay about 50 cents more for a gallon of premium gasoline.

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