Gas prices rise on global oil, refinery shutdowns

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States rose about 6 cents over the past three weeks on higher global oil prices and capacity reductions at two refineries in the Midwest, an industry analyst said on Sunday.

The national average for self-serve, regular gas was $3.0577 on July 13, up 6 cents compared with the national average of $2.9961 a gallon on June 22, according to the nationwide Lundberg survey of about 7,000 gas stations.

This was a reversal from the prior five weeks between May 18 and June 22, when prices dropped nearly 19 cents.

"The price cutting that we saw in the prior five weeks was arrested by much stronger crude oil prices and continued U.S. refining problems," survey editor Trilby Lundberg said.

The U.S. Benchmark grade rose $4.79 per barrel during the three weeks to July 13 to close at $73.99.

At the same time the United States continued to have problems with some of its refineries.

Flooding caused Coffeyville Resources shut down its Kansas refinery on July 12, while BP had to cut back production at its Whiting, Indiana, refinery on July 11 because of a small leak. Both were expected to be back at to close to full production this week.

In the Midwest, gas prices rose on average 24 cents per gallon during the three-week period with some cities seeing rises of more than 30 cents including Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Des Moines, Iowa.

A gallon of gas cost only about a penny more on the Gulf and East Coasts, but in the Western region and in the Rockies states, gas prices fell 6 to 7 cents during the three weeks.

Tucson, Arizona, had the lowest average gas price in the nation at $2.80 a gallon, while Chicago drivers paid the most at an average $3.46, according to the latest survey.