Gas price break may not last

The politics of gas

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ATLANTA (CNN) -- After a two-week climb in gasoline prices, there appeared to be some short-term moderation Monday - but another run at the record high set last week seems likely, two surveys indicated.

The average price of gasoline jumped 15 cents over the past two weeks to a national average of $3.62 per gallon of self-serve regular, according to the biweekly Lundberg Survey released Sunday. The rise continued at virtually the same rate as the previous two weeks, when the average price went up 16 cents per gallon.

Separately, AAA reported Monday that the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline fell for the fourth straight day, down 3/10 of a cent to $3.611. The price is 1.2 cents below the $3.623-a-gallon record set last Thursday, which marked the 17th day in a row of new highs.

The AAA survey is updated daily, and tracks prices at roughly 80,000 service stations across the country. It is conducted for the group by Oil Price Information Service.

Crude oil. While crude oil prices were "a little tamer" in the past two weeks, the majority of the 15-cent rise "went to some margin of recovery for retailers," said Lundberg Survey publisher Trilby Lundberg. Many retailers had seen their take on each gallon shrivel amid skyrocketing oil prices.

Even if crude oil prices slip in the coming days, "I think we can expect another 10 or 15 cents this month, if not more," Lundberg said.

Crude oil prices were up over $117 a barrel on Monday morning amid supply concerns fueled by an attack on a Nigerian oil installation. The rise was tempered by a slightly stronger dollar; the dollar's weakness has pushed crude prices higher this year as investors look to commodities as a hedge against inflation.

As the summer driving season approaches, refiners need to recover how much they make per gallon in order to restore some capacity that they have idled, Lundberg said. Also, refiners overseas could be attracted to a higher U.S. gas price "and send over those extra barrels," increasing supply to meet the U.S. demand, she said.

The Lundberg survey looks at thousands of gas stations across the country. The lowest average price in the latest survey is $3.39 in Cheyenne, Wyo., while people in San Francisco, Calif., paid the highest on average at $3.95 per gallon.

With gas prices serving as a major issue in the presidential race, here are the average prices in some cities taking part in upcoming Democratic nominating contests, according to Lundberg:

-- Indianapolis: $3.71

-- Charlotte, N.C.: $3.61

-- Charleston, W. Va.: $3.75

-- Portland, Ore.: $3.65

-- Louisville, Ky.: $3.73

Here are prices in some other cities:

-- Newark, N.J.: $3.45

-- Houston: $3.49

-- Billings, Mont.: $3.50

-- Manchester, N.H.: $3.53

-- Atlanta: $3.60

-- Omaha, Neb: $3.50