Gas prices approaching record

Wednesday, July 21, 1999 | 2:23 a.m.

Filling up the gas tank is once again a horrifying experience across northern Nevada.

Statewide, the price of a gallon of gas has soared 11 cents in the past month. But in Carson City, it's up 15 cents. A 13-cent hike in Reno has put the cost within a penny of the record.

Statewide, the American Automobile Association said the average price of a gallon of unleaded is $1.46. In Reno, it's $1.58 and in Carson City, it's $1.52. Las Vegas is cheap by comparison at $1.37 a gallon, up 7 cents in the past month.

"Motorists feel very frustrated, especially in the thick of the summer driving season," AAA spokesman Paul Moreno said on Tuesday,

"The recent upturn in pump prices reflects tight gasoline prices on the West Coast," he added. "Old and new refinery trouble coupled with higher crude oil costs and strong summer demand are pushing gas prices higher.

"Analysts say members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are succeeding in curbing oil production to boost prices," he said.

That brought an incredulous snort from Robert Uithoven, an aide to Rep. Jim Gibbons.

"It's the new excuse of the week," he said. "We've heard three different excuses: The cost of crude oil, more refinery accident and high demand. But prices are not the same back East.

"Congressman Gibbons is not satisfied with the explanation."

Gibbons, R-Nev., and Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., have joined in a call for the Justice Department to investigate possible collusion among the gas companies to inflate the prices.

That outcry came in April when prices hit their all-time high of $1.59 in Reno and $1.61 statewide for a gallon of unleaded.

Moreno said the regional disparity in prices reflects southern Nevada stations' reliance on southern California suppliers.

Northern Nevada has had to cope with continued refinery troubles in the Bay Area, where its stations get their supply. Those problems have propelled the surge in regional gas prices.

Jeff Arneson, owner of A&C Texaco in Carson City, said his choices when the distributor raises prices are to follow suit or lose money and the customers' options are to pay more or stay home.

"People have got to drive and we haven't seen any slacking off of customers since the rate increase," he said.