Don’t look now, but gas prices are speeding towards $4 a gallon locally.
Gas in Emporia was as high as $3.79 this weekend, with many gas stations charging $3.59 a gallon. This means gas prices have jumped 10 to 30 cents since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started Feb. 24 — and gas prices have shot up as much as 50 cents since right before the invasion.
It’s not much better across the KVOE listening area. Kansas GasBuddy says the best you can hope for areawide is $3.49 a gallon in Council Grove. Gas is as high as $3.85 in Melvern.
Russia isn’t the world’s biggest crude oil producer. That status is still in the Middle East. However, the invasion has fueled — pun fully intended — concerns about the global impact, both because of the immediate invasion and the worldwide response. Crude oil prices are above $100 a barrel, and some experts say gas prices could top $5 a gallon as a result of the ongoing war. Earlier projections mentioned gas possibly climbing to $7 a gallon.
