AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; Gas Prices Move Lower

HOUSTON--June 18, 2004--Gas prices moved lower for the third straight week, according to AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch.

The national average for regular self-serve gasoline is $1.964 a gallon, 4.6 cents lower than last week's average, but 45 cents higher than last year's average. The Texas average for a gallon of regular self-serve fell 3.6 cents to $1.858 a gallon.

Corpus Christi posted the biggest weekly drop of 6.7 cents a gallon to have the cheapest average in the state -- $1.773 a gallon. Dallas tops the list at $1.882 a gallon, down 2.5 cents since last week.

"The recent price declines can be attributed to improving inventories of gasoline and lower prices for crude oil," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "However, the current averages remain at very high levels -- 45 cents higher than a year ago."

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for automobile trips.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 a.m., June 18, 2004:

                                Weekly            New           Year
Area                Current     Change        Record Price   Ago Price
----                -------   ----------    ---------------- ---------
National            $1.964    -4.6 cents    $2.054 (5/26/04)   $1.513

State               $1.858    -3.6 cents    $1.927 (5/26/04)   $1.408

Austin-San Marcos   $1.845    -3.6 cents    $1.929 (5/27/04)   $1.375

Beaumont            $1.844    -2.6 cents    $1.903 (6/1/04)    $1.382

Corpus Christi      $1.773    -6.7 cents    $1.925 (5/26/04)   $1.362

Dallas              $1.882    -2.5 cents    $1.932 (5/27/04)   $1.427

Fort Worth          $1.871    -3.2 cents    $1.924 (5/28/04)   $1.413

Galveston -         $1.859    -2.7 cents    $1.922 (6/1/04)    $1.404
Texas City

Houston             $1.843    -3.4 cents    $1.909 (6/1/04)    $1.397

San Antonio         $1.831    -4.7 cents    $1.952 (5/26/04)   $1.374

AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, travel agency, financial products, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' Web site at www.aaa-texas.com.