Gas prices maintain, oil down

We've had price decreases for several months, but apparently we're not about to see gas cost less today, according to information from AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The average for a gallon of regular no-lead remained at $1.74 in the five-county Philadelphia area. South Jersey's average dipped 1 cent, to $1.51. The national average was unchanged, at $1.66.

Wyoming and Utah have the lowest gas averages in the United States, at $1.46; Alaska the highest, at $2.61.

Diesel prices moved by the merest amounts: down 1 cent a gallon in the Philly area and down 1 cent in South Jersey, but unchanged at the national level.

More bad economic news from the U.S. sent oil prices downward today, with a barrel of crude fetching less than $39 in thin Christmas Eve trading.

Expectations of further U.S. stock builds also kept a low ceiling on prices.

Light, sweet crude for February delivery dipped 45 cents to $38.53 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by noon in Europe. The contract fell overnight 93 cents to settle at $38.98.