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VALDOSTA — Gasoline prices for Lowndes County inched back slightly in the last week, following state and national trends.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Valdosta Monday was $2.07, a penny lower than the previous Monday, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The lowest price reported for fuel in the Azalea City Monday was $1.87 per gallon at an Inner Perimeter Road store, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com. That doesn’t include prices at buying clubs, where only club members get the lowest prices.

Valdosta had the sixth-highest fuel prices Monday among the 15 Georgia markets surveyed by AAA — behind Savannah, Macon, Hinesville, Brunswick and Augusta but above Warner Robins, Rome, Gainesville, Dalton, Columbus, Catoosa, Atlanta, Athens and Albany.

Nationally, the average price of gasoline Monday was $2.22 per gallon, down a cent from the previous week, while Georgia’s average of $2.04 was also down a penny in the same period, the auto club said.

“Summer may be fading into the rearview mirror, but less expensive gas prices are not,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “Moving into fall we traditionally see a drop in demand and further savings at the pump. This year that means pump prices could possibly push even lower then we’ve already seen in 2020.”

In Tuesday midday market trading, benchmark U.S. crude sank 7.6% to $36.73 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 5.2% to $39.84.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.