Kamloops gas prices expected to drop leading into the weekend

Oct 11, 2018 | 11:13 AM

KAMLOOPS — As gas prices are expected to skyrocket across the Lower Mainland due to a pipeline explosion near Prince George, prices at the pumps in Kamloops are expected to drop.

Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com, says the average gas price in Kamloops is currently around $1.349, but that could drop a few cents by the weekend.

“I would expect that into the weekend we could see a lot of prices here in the Thompson and the Okanagan moving down below $1.30 a litre,” McTeague says. 

It’s a stark contrast to what’s going on in the Lower Mainland, which receives most of its gasoline from refineries in Washington, McTeague says. Prices are spiking across the south coast due to the pipeline explosion, which is affecting refineries in the United States.

Although there are obvious disruptions with that pipeline, McTeague says there are no issues with the Trans Mountain which supplies the Southern Interior with gasoline from Edmonton.

“Almost all of our gasoline comes from Edmonton via the Trans Mountain pipeline, and there’s no disruption there,” McTeague says. “If anything, prices are beginning to drop rather dramatically and pleasantly, I think, for most consumers.”

Prices are expected to drop one or two cents in Kamloops over the next couple of days, with a bigger decrease on the horizon for the weekend. However, McTeague adds there’s no major decrease in the forecast.

“Unlike Metro Vancouver, and the Lower Mainland, and Vancouver Island which are going to see prices rise, here in the Interior, in Central B.C. and the Okanagan, we will see prices continue to fall.”