Ill. oil refineries spur MN gas price rise

Gas prices in Minnesota are rising due in part to an extended cut in production capacity at two Chicago-area refineries.

The cutbacks are causing gas prices to spike in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, said Gail Weinholzer, director of public affairs AAA Minnesota-Iowa. She notes that on Wednesday the average price of $3.85 per gallon in Minnesota is well above the national average of $3.59 per gallon. Many fuel stations in Minnesota are reporting prices over $4, Weinholzer said, and some stations are charging $4.20 a gallon or more for regular unleaded.

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"Minnesota is in the top ten states in the nation, as far as prices are concerned. I would guess that would continue to climb over the next couple of days," Weinholzer said. "We could end up in the range of Hawaii, Alaska, California, which are typically the three highest-priced states in the country."

She said the rising price is unlikely to abate until late June or early July.

However, an analyst at the website GasBuddy.com contends prices could be on the wane in a matter of weeks.

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