Several Esso stations in the region closed their pumps entirely, with at least one in North Vancouver only selling supreme-grade gasoline.

The refinery that is the sole local supplier of motor fuel in the B.C. Lower Mainland is being scheduled for an eight-week maintenance shutdown early next year.

Prices at some gas stations around Vancouver were as high as $1.589 on Wednesday morning.

Retailers change the blend of gas twice a year because of shift in temperatures: April 15 and September 15.

According to analyst Dan McTeague, you can expect to keep paying long weekend rates for the next week.

One analyst says gas prices will likely top $1.60 per litre at the high end.

If you can wait until tomorrow to gas up, you're likely to save a few cents per litre.

Are petroleum suppliers pocketing an unfair profit, or is B.C. being squeezed by a lack of supply?

"There's a likelihood that we could hit 1.65 sometime just after the May long weekend."

The possibility of skyrocketing fuel prices is creeping ever closer, warns analyst Dan McTeague.