Gas nears $5

SANDUSKY — On Tuesday, gas prices in the Sandusky area hovered around $4.30 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel. But shortly thereafter, costs at a number of locations suddenly shot up dramatically. As of Friday morning, prices at some locations were on the cusp of surpassing $5 per gallon for regular fuel and $6 per gallon for diesel. So what caused that sudden spike? Problems occurring overseas, domestically The obvious culprit — the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran and the closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane — is playing a part, according to Lynda Lambert, spokeswoman with AAA East Central, which tracks price trends in the oil industry. But other factors much closer to home are also contributing to the price hike. Lambert explained: "The gist right now is we are still dealing with the effects of the Iran conflict and the Straight of Hormuz closure, but in the Midwest region, we are now dealing with three major refinery issues." Those issues, as explained by Lambert: • "The Whiting, Indiana refinery, the largest refinery in the Midwest, is dealing with a power outage." • Two other refineries in Illinois, the Joliet refinery outside Chicago and the Wood River refinery outside St. Louis, are also experiencing disruptions. "These three refineries produce more than a million barrels of oil per day, and these issues are impacting gas prices in the Midwest. The price of crude oil is also rising and trading at more than $100 per barrel," Lambert said. It wasn't immediately clear when these refinery issues would resolve and if local gas prices were going to keep rising or decrease. Prices soar This week marked a significant escalation in local gas prices, which had been steadily rising amid hostilities with Iran over the past few months. Here's a look at how price averages in local counties changed over just a few days' time, since this past Tuesday: • Erie County: $4.94; It was $4.23 on April 28. • Huron County: $4.99; It was $4.14 on April 28. • Sandusky County: $4.81; It was $4.11 on April 28. • Ottawa County: $4.77; It was $4.10 on April 28. • Hancock County: $4.84; It was $4.03 on April 28. • Seneca County: $4.95; It was was $4.06 on April 28. Source: AAA