Washingtonians likely to feel pain at the pump after Saudi attack

Washington state consumers filling up their vehicles will soon feel the effects of the drone attacks on two of Saudi Arabia’s major oil facilities, according to AAA.

AAA said people could end up paying up to 25 cents more per gallon and that the changes could be felt as early as this week.

“Americans can expect local pump prices to start to increase this week. The jump could end up being as much as a quarter per gallon throughout this month,” said company spokeswoman Jeanette Casselano. “Whether this is a short or long term trend will be determined by the price of crude oil prices and how quickly the facilities in Saudi Arabia can recover and get back online.”

The attacks affected only about 6% of the global crude-oil supply, but the price of crude oil went up by $5 per barrel to $61 per barrel immediately, the automobile advocacy group said in a report posted Monday.

Washington already has some of the highest prices for gas, at an average of $3.18 per gallon, behind only Hawaii ($3.64) and California ($3.63, ) according to AAA’s research.

Washington state’s historically elevated gas prices prompted former Attorney General Rob McKenna to order an examination into why our gas is so expensive.

The 2007 study found a number of variables — including the price of crude oil, refinery prices and the state’s gas tax — affected Washington’s gas prices.

Damage to the Saudi facilities from the attack is still being assessed, but the strike provoked response from D.C. and prompted President Donald Trump to authorize the release of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and to say he was “locked and loaded” and ready to respond.