San Diego County Gasoline Price Falls Slightly

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County fell a half-cent Friday to $3.976 after a stretch of increases in 43 days.

Despite the decrease, the average price is 1.2 centshigher than a week ago, 45.1 cents above what it was one month ago and 89.1 cents greater than it was one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

"World events including the Japan natural disaster and unrest in the Middle East and North Africa are continuing to make crude oil and gasoline prices quite volatile,'' said Jeffrey Spring of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The price of a barrel of benchmark crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $3.44 Thursday to $101.42, after falling $4 Tuesday and increasing 80 cents Wednesday.

Crude oil costs account for two-thirds to three-quarters of the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to Tupper Hull of the Western States Petroleum Association, a trade association representing oil companies in six western states.

City News Service contributed to this report.