Gasoline prices fall a penny

Crude oil prices were inching upward for the first time in 10 days today, but gasoline prices at the pump were down by a penny per gallon in the Philadelphia region.

AAA Mid-Atlantic said the average for a gallon of regular gasoline in Southeastern Pennsylvania fell one cent overnight to $2.70. In South Jersey the price fell a cent to $2.48 per gallon.

The national gas average held overnight at $2.60, the auto club said.

The Associated Press said crude oil for January delivery rose 29 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $69.80 a barrel in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, the contract gained as much as 0.9 percent to $70.15. Oil has risen 57 percent in the past year.    - Reid Kanaley