Natrona County’s average gas price dips below $4 on Middle East deal optimism
(Shutterstock)CASPER, Wyo. — Natrona County’s average gas price dipped below $4 per gallon on Monday afterdropping 7 centsover the past week,according to AAA. That comes alongside a falling Wyoming average,. . .
(Shutterstock)CASPER, Wyo. — Natrona County’s average gas price dipped below $4 per gallon on Monday afterdropping 7 centsover the past week,according to AAA. That comes alongside a falling Wyoming average, down 5 cents to $4. 09, per AAA. GasBuddy’s tracked national average comes in a bit lower at $4. 05, which isdown 0. 8 cents from last week. The national average is up 28. 5 cents from a month ago and is 93. 6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, GasBuddy says. The national average price of diesel rose 7. 1 cents in the last week and stands at $5. 326 per gallon. (AAA graphic)Local drivers could find the cheapest fuel at $3. 83 per gallon at Maverik, Highway 26 Poison Spider Road in Mills, and Sinclair, 5076 W. Yellowstone Highway in Mills. That’s followed by $3. 84 at Sam’s Club, 4600 E. 2nd St. , according toGasBuddy reports. Laramie County and Goshen County switched places this week with Laramie County now offering Wyoming’s cheapest fuel with an average price of $3. 78 per gallon, down 12 cents. Goshen County’s average is down 2 cents to $3. 83. Albany County is offering the third cheapest average at $3. 91,according to AAA. Oil prices tumbled Monday on signals of potential diplomatic deals in the Middle East, even as attacks on Russian oil infrastructure pressured refined products. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $5. 73 to $78. 94 per barrel, surrendering recent price gains. “By later this week, the national average could reach its highest level ever recorded for this point in the calendar year, a sobering milestone even as prices remain well below the all-time record set in 2022,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. He cautioned that shifts on either front in the Middle East or Ukraine could alter the market outlook. At the same time, the U. S. Energy Information Administration reported commercial crude inventories fell by 7. 2 million barrels last week, leaving national stockpiles about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year. GasBuddy’s full report on Monday states:OIL MARKET DYNAMICSOil prices tumbled again to start the week as fresh optimism over a potential U. S. -Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz sent crude sharply lower, with President Trump pausing a planned military strike on Iran over the weekend following appeals from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran itself, and reports emerging that a framework agreement could be signed as early as Friday. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed with tankers still being attacked and forced to turn back, but markets are increasingly pricing in a near-term resolution—a dynamic that has caused crude to whipsaw violently in both directions throughout this five-month conflict. In early Monday trade, WTI was down $5. 73 to $78. 94 per barrel, well below last Monday’s $83. 89, while Brent fell $4. 98 to $82. 95, compared to $90. 42 a week ago, with both benchmarks now having surrendered nearly all of last week’s war-premium gains and approaching the lows seen in the immediate aftermath of the original June MOU. “Oil prices remain highly influenced by geopolitical developments. Last week, concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East supported prices. However, following President Trump’s de-escalatory social media post over the weekend, concerns of near-term supply disruptions have eased, causing oil prices to fall sharply at the start of the week,” said Giovanni Staunovo, UBS commodities analyst, in an email. OIL AND REFINED PRODUCT SUPPLIESThe EIA’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report for the week ending July 24, 2026, showed U. S. commercial crude oil inventories fell by 7. 2 million barrels and are about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year, while the SPR fell 3. 8 million barrels to 307. 7 million barrels. Gasoline inventories were essentially unchanged and are about 6% below the five-year seasonal average, while distillate inventories rose by 1. 1 million barrels and are about 9% below the five-year seasonal average. Refinery utilization rose 1. 1 percentage points to 97. 2%, while implied gasoline demand, the EIA’s proxy for retail demand, rose 94,000 bpd to 9. 041 million barrels per day. GAS PRICE TRENDSThe most common U. S. gas price encountered by motorists was $3. 69 per gallon, down 20 cents from a week ago, followed by $3. 79, $3. 99, $3. 89, and $4. 29, rounding out the top five most common prices. The median U. S. gas price is $3. 89 per gallon, down 2 cents from last week and about 16 cents lower than the national average. The top 10% of stations in the country average $5. 33 per gallon, while the bottom 10% average $3. 40 per gallon. The states with the lowest average prices: Texas ($3. 55), Indiana ($3. 61), and Mississippi ($3. 62). The states with the highest average prices: California ($5. 62), Hawaii ($5. 40), and Washington ($5. 10). Biggest weekly changes: Ohio (+22. 2¢), Michigan (+15. 5¢), Indiana (+13. 5¢), Florida (−12. 7¢), Texas (−11. 0¢). DIESEL PRICE TRENDSThe most common U. S. diesel price stood at $4. 99 per gallon, unchanged from last week, followed by $4. 89, $4. 79, $4. 69, and $4. 95, rounding out the top five most common prices. The median U. S. diesel price is $5. 27 per gallon, up 8 cents from last week and about 6 cents lower than the national average. Diesel prices at the top 10% of stations in the country average $5. 92 per gallon, while the bottom 10% average $4. 74 per gallon. The states with the lowest average diesel prices: Oklahoma ($4. 78), Kansas ($4. 86), and Missouri ($4. 89). The states with the highest average diesel prices: Hawaii ($6. 93), California ($6. 91), and Washington ($6. 14). Biggest weekly changes: Ohio (+27. 3¢), Michigan (+19. 9¢), Utah (+17. 7¢), Idaho (+16. 1¢), New Mexico (+15. 8¢).