The average price in the United States for a gallon of regular gasoline rose in the last five weeks for the second time since early October, as U.S. refineries passed on the cost of more expensive crude oil, according to a widely followed survey released on Sunday.

Gasoline prices averaged $3.3443 per gallon on Jan. 25, up $1.96 cents from Jan. 11, Trilby Lundberg, editor of the Lundberg Survey, said.

Prices had declined for 11 weeks between Oct. 5, when gas touched near $3.84 per gallon, and Dec. 21, when they started to rise again. Gasoline prices on Jan. 6 averaged $3.3247 per gallon, up 6.68 cents from Dec. 21.

The rising price of crude oil is driving the increase, Lundberg said, as refineries pass their costs on to retailers.

“Two cents is not the end of it. We’re very likely to see a few more pennies at the pumps in the next few days,” Lundberg said of the likelihood prices would continue to rise.

Of the cities surveyed, Albuquerque, New Mexico, was where drivers paid the least at $2.88 per gallon, and filling the gas tank cost the most in Los Angeles at $3.71 per gallon.

(Reuters)