Montana gas prices are averaging $2.71 per gallon right now and that is only 0.8 cents lower than a month ago. Patrick DeHaan is the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy and he says prices have barely budged.

“The national average also barely dropped, falling 0.4 cents and currently stands at $2.60,” DeHaan said. “It was a week of very little change, but Montana prices are still about 27 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, when prices averaged $2.97. Oil prices have increased slightly versus a week ago on optimism over last week’s jobs report and further optimism that the U.S. and China are going to ink some sort of trade deal.”

The optimism behind a trade deal could push the economy into more growth and that could mean higher oil demand. According to DeHaan, the demand for gasoline typically declines during the holidays.

“It is going to be kind of up in the air this year,” DeHaan said. “A trade deal between the U.S. and China could derail the customary declines that we are used to seeing going into Thanksgiving. Right now, oil prices are higher than they have been in recent weeks. They currently sit at about $57 a barrel and that could limit any declines from happening ahead of Thanksgiving at the gas pump.”

According to GasBuddy, the cheapest station in Montana is priced at $2.55 per gallon and the most expensive is $2.99 per gallon.

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