Phila. sees gas priced at $4 a gallon

Two gas stations in the Philadelphia region finally hit the $4-a-gallon mark over the weekend for regular no-lead gasoline, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic

Both stations were in Philadelphia: on Columbus Boulevard, selling unbranded gas for $4.06 a gallon, and on Washington Avenue, selling Sunoco gas for $4.07 a gallon.

On the whole, 3 cents was the guiding principle for gas price increases the weekend: That was how much the average for a gallon of no-lead rose on both sides of the river, according to to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The average in the five-county Philadelphia was up today to $3.83.

That also was the amount of the increase in South Jersey, which saw a price of $3.66.

At the national level, the price actually held steady over the weekend, at $3.79.

In the diesel lane, the average in the Philadelphia area increased by a nickel, to $4.76.

The average for diesel in South Jersey was up 4 cents, to $4.48.

At the national level, the average price for diesel was at $4.52, up 4 cents over the weekend.

Need we tell you that these are the highest prices we've paid? Didn't think so.

For the first time, the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 stations nationwide found average prices for regular gas surged above $4 a gallon in two metropolitan areas: Chicago and on Long Island in New York.

The survey, which was released yesterday, said that the highest average price was in Chicago, at $4.07.

Oil prices rose today as a new report showed regular gas topped $4 a gallon for the first time in two U.S. metropolitan areas.

Investors brushed off news of increased production from Saudi Arabia on Friday, the same day oil prices punched through another per-barrel trading record.

The world's leading oil producer promised an additional 300,000 barrels of crude a day as President Bush wrapped up a trip to Saudi Arabia and talks with King Abdullah.

That and a U.S. announcement that it would temporarily stop filling government stockpiles have done little to change overall sentiment in the market.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose $1.28 to $127.57 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange this morning.