Gas prices spike in Metro Vancouver, Victoria
'I don't see it coming down again for the next couple of weeks,' says gas consultant
Gas prices have spiked in Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria, and experts say the high prices may persist for weeks.
Dan McTeague with the price-tracking website, Gasbuddy.com, said the price increases are due to supply issues stemming from a maintenance shutdown at a Washington state refinery.
McTeague said the Phillips 66 refinery in Ferndale, Wash. is shuttered, and another refinery, BP's Cherry Point, is expected to close Monday for the same reason.
As a result, the steep gas prices will stay a while.
"I don't see it coming down again for the next couple of weeks," said McTeague.
On Saturday, prices at Vancouver gas stations were above $1.40 a litre, while in Victoria they topped $1.31 per litre.
"It's not a pretty situation at all," he said. "You're looking at substantially higher gas prices."
McTeague said consumers may be hit with another hike after mid-April, when refineries switch to summer gasoline blends, which are pricier.