Terry Richards | The Valdosta Daily TimesA gas tanker is parked at a convenience store on Bemiss Road Friday. Many stores were reporting difficulties getting gasoline deliveries last week in the wake of a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline.

VALDOSTA — Lowndes County gasoline prices made a significant jump last week after seven topsy-turvy days of pipeline threats and panic buying.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Valdosta early this week was $2.87, up eight cents since the previous week, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The lowest price reported in Lowndes County was $2.69 per gallon at a store in Lake Park, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com.

Valdosta had some of the lowest fuel prices among the 15 Georgia markets monitored by the auto club — higher than Warner Robins, Columbus and Albany but lower than Savannah, Rome, Macon, Hinesville, Gainesville, Dalton, Catoosa, Brunswick, Augusta, Athens and Albany.

Nationally, average gasoline price was $3.05 per gallon early this week, up eight cents in seven days, while Georgia’s average of $2.96 per gallon was up 19 cents in that period, according to AAA.

Georgia, the home state of the Colonial Pipeline company, was among the states hardest hit when the company shut down the pipeline, which carries much of the oil supply for the East Coast, May 7, after a ransomware attack.

The pipeline operator says operations are back to normal.

“The Southeast will continue to experience tight supply this week as terminals and gas stations are refueled,” said Jeanette McGee, AAA spokesperson. “Over the weekend, gas prices started to stabilize but are expected to fluctuate in the lead up to Memorial Day weekend.”

Gasbuddy reported early this week that nine stores in Lowndes County were out of gasoline around 3 p.m., while 40% of all stations in Georgia were experiencing shortages.

In midday market action Monday, benchmark U.S. crude rose 32 cents to $65.69 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.55 on Friday to $65.37. Brent crude, used to price international oils, advanced 31 cents to $69.02 per barrel in London. It closed $1.66 higher the previous session at $68.71.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.