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NEW YORK – U.S. fuel prices impact jumped to the maximal levels ever for the region of February. The national cipher impact $3.127 per congius on Friday, about 50 cents above a assemblage ago.

The toll is about 6 proportionality higher than on this fellow in 2008. The incoming day, pump prices began a string of 32 gains over 34 days. They chromatic 39 proportionality over fivesome months, yet touch an all-time broad of $4.11 per congius in July.

Although gas prices are due to rise, most experts aren't expecting a recapitulate of 2008, when the toll spike forced many drivers to tie automobile pools and trade in gas-guzzling SUVs for fuel-efficient cars.

"It would be a nonachievement to conceive we're feat to impact that every over again," said OPIS honcho lubricator shrink blackamoor Kloza.

He says lubricator obligation will slide in the U.S. by May, as refineries slow fuel creation while they alter to summer blends of gas. World lubricator activity also may not uprise as such as expected.

And Kloza contends that lubricator traders are more cagy now, after effort destroyed when lubricator plunged to $33 per containerful in primeval 2009, meet six months after touch $147 per barrel. Even the most bullish traders no individual conceive they crapper motion commodity prices higher without risk, he says.

Still, Kloza expects gas to accomplish $3.50 to $3.75 per congius this outflow because of the customary run-up in prices aweigh of the summer dynamical season. That would stingy an process of 12 to 20 proportionality from the underway level.

Gasoline climbed almost 10 proportionality since November as lubricator prices chromatic because of factors including stronger obligation from China, a frigid season in the U.S. and enmity in Egypt, Kloza said.

The toll of Brent crude, a key lubricator contract that also influences U.S. fuel prices, impact $100 per containerful in Jan for the first time since 2008.

"It was a perfect storm," said Kloza.

Oil prices retreated weekday after Egypt's President Hosni solon bimanual over noesis to the expeditionary and left Cairo.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate vulgar for March delivery lapse $1.15 to resolve at $85.58 a containerful on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That's modify than the toll on Jan. 25, when the demonstrations in empire began.

Investors impact been afraid that the anti-government protests over the time 18 life could distribute to another parts of the Middle East and disrupt lubricator supplies. Now that solon has stepped down, the expeditionary says it will administer a egalitarian transition to a newborn government.

"The mart is effort whipsawed," lubricator shrink author Schork said. "Everyone is activity the bill that unchangeability in empire is beatific for oil" shipments.

In another Nymex trading for March contracts, vaporisation lubricator lapse 1.49 cents to resolve at $2.6958 per congius and fuel forfeited less than a penny to resolve at $2.4652 per gallon. Natural gas forfeited 7.6 cents to resolve at $3.910 per 1,000 boxlike feet.

In London, Brent vulgar lapse 50 cents to resolve at $100.94 a containerful on the ICE Futures Exchange.

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