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Gas prices dropping, Energy Department says

Today's price lowest for August in four years.

By Daniel J. Graeber

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Nearly across the board, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the United States is still falling, the U.S. Energy Department said.

The Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the Energy Department, said gasoline prices have decreased in all parts of the United States apart from the Rocky Mountains region, where the average price as of Aug. 18 was up less than one cent from the previous week.

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Motor club AAA reports a national average price Thursday of $3.43 per gallon, nearly four cents lower than the previous week and about 10 cents less than the price for this date in 2013. The average price is the lowest it's been since February and the lowest price for August in four years.

In a Monday report, AAA said traders have shrugged off tensions in Russia, Ukraine and Iraq.

"This is largely due to the relative stability of global supply projections, attributed to the U.S. approaching its highest annual level of oil production since 1972 and Libya's returning to previous production levels," AAA said.

EIA, for its part, said an increase in crude oil production from the Permian basin in the south of the country has outpaced pipeline capacity to move it to refineries. This, in turn, has pushed some oil benchmarks lower in the country.

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