It was fun while it lasted, but a petroleum analyst says drivers in Metro Vancouver will only have a few hours Friday to take advantage of lower prices at the pumps before they rise again.
According to Dan McTeague from GasBuddy.com, gas prices are set to climb six cents a litre overnight into Saturday morning, followed by a spike of up to 12 cents on Sunday, for a total of 17 to 18 cents per litre in the next 30 hours.
“If you’re seeing $1.319 in Metro Vancouver and don’t want to pay $1.46 or $1.47, you’ll want to get to the gas station now,” McTeague warned.
“A price jump this big this fast is really unprecedented.”
The price bump is linked to an issue with the Olympic Pipeline in Washington state, which also delivers some product to Vancouver, according to McTeague.
WATCH: (Aired Dec. 14) After a few weeks of relatively low prices, the pain at the pumps is set to return. Jordan Armstrong reports.
He said the problem was found during scheduled maintenance work, which prompted the pipeline to be temporarily shut down.
McTeague said he expected the increase to be temporary, and prices could fall back down as soon as Wednesday as service is restored to the pipeline.
The price jump is affecting the entire Pacific Northwest, he added, and will also be felt in Victoria, though not as high as in other parts of the Lower Mainland.
—With files from Janet Brown
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