A pipeline explosion in Alabama earlier this week could be partly responsible for a 14-cent jump in the price of a litre of regular gasoline observed at some Montreal-area stations.
Some stations in town are making you pay 123.9, while others are still selling gas at 109.9.
The price of gas in this city spikes by about a dime per litre every week, but Monday's explosion at a key pipeline which delivers refined fuel to much of the eastern portion of the continent may have added a few more cents to that price hike.
Gas-price watcher Dan McTeague with GasBuddy.com says that Alabama pipeline is a crucial one.
"Most of U.S. gasoline in the northeast and in the southeast does, in fact, come from the Colonial Pipeline where, at its other end is, of course, the Texas refineries, which produce about half of the U.S. gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and home heating fuel needs. So it's an extremely important pipeline."
There is, however, some good news.
Typically, gas-price spikes in Montreal are temporary, with prices declining gradually throughout the week until the next one happens. And McTeague suggests even the effect of the pipeline explosion will be temporary as well.
"[Gas prices are] likely to fall almost as dramatically," he says. "That's only because the pipeline company, Colonial, has said that they'll have this thing up and running by Saturday. I that's quite a stretch, but nevertheless, the market is taking them at face value."