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Petroleum oversight hearing highlights uncertain oil supplies as gas prices rise

A recent sample of San Francisco Bay Area gas prices
rulenumberone2
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Flickr / Creative Commons
A recent sample of San Francisco Bay Area gas prices

State lawmakers held an oversight hearing on Tuesday on rising gas prices as Californians are already paying an average of six dollars-a-gallon.

Officials say the state is now receiving what could be its last oil shipment from the Middle East — about two million barrels arriving by tanker.

Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee Chair Cottie Petrie Norris.

“When this tanker is empty, it is unclear where the next replacement ship will be coming from and we are feeling the impact already here in California.”

Lawmakers and energy experts say the spike is being driven by global supply disruptions including the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz… and the state’s strict fuel standards and limited refining capacity after the state closed two refineries.

AAA reports the current average price for a gallon of gas is over six dollars — over a dollar-and-a-half more than the national average.