Delaware gas prices hold steady

Delaware drivers are paying an average of $3.39 a gallon to fuel up.  The price is unchanged from a week earlier, but still high for January.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says prices are still 15-to-17 cents higher than a month ago.  High crude oil prices and reports of impending refinery shutdowns have fueled the recent increases, which come as U.S. demand for gasoline is near a multi-year low.  “The current tension in the Middle East and escalating crude oil prices have led analysts to believe it is only a matter of time – as early as perhaps April – when gas prices reach the $4.00-to-$4.25 per-gallon range, setting a new all-time record high,” AAA Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs Specialist Jana Tidwell said.  The national average for a gallon of gas is also $3.39.  The Pennsylvania average is $3.50, and the average in New Jersey is $3.29.