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VALDOSTA — The price of gasoline remained frozen in Valdosta during the last week, following state and national trends.

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline early this week in the Azalea City was $2.94, unchanged from the week before, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The lowest price reported in the city was $2.77 per gallon at a store on Gornto Road, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com.

The city had the sixth-highest average gasoline prices among the 15 Georgia markets the auto club monitors — lower than Savannah, Hinesville, Brunswick, Atlanta and Albany but higher than Warner Robins, Rome, Macon, Gainesville, Valdosta, Columbus, Catoosa, Augusta and Albany.

Nationally, the average price of gasoline was $3.18, just a penny lower than seven days earlier, while Georgia’s average of $2.96 per gallon was also a cent lower over the same period, AAA said.

Although a drop in demand has helped to minimize pump price increases and stabilize the national average, elevated crude prices continue to keep pump prices high as the end of summer draws near, the auto club said in a statement.

In market action early in the week, benchmark U.S. crude rose 5 cents to $67.34 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 4 cents to $69.55 per barrel in London. It lost $1.08 to $69.51.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.