VALDOSTA — The price of gasoline in Valdosta slipped a few cents last week, in line with state trends.

The average price of regular gasoline in the Azalea City earlier this week was $3.16 per gallon, three cents cheaper than seven days earlier, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The lowest gasoline price reported in Valdosta earlier this week was $2.95 per gallon at a store on North St. Augustine Road, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com.

Valdosta tied with Rome and Columbus for the eighth most expensive gasoline among the 15 Georgia fuel markets monitored by AAA — above Warner Robins, Dalton, Catoosa, Augusta and Albany but beneath Savannah, Macon, Hinesville, Gainesville, Brunswick, Atlanta and Albany.

Nationally, the average price of gasoline was $3.39 per gallon, up a penny in a week, while Georgia’s average of $3.22 was down a penny in the same period, the auto club said.

“It’s too soon to tell if fears of a global economic slowdown caused by the omicron (COVID-19) variant will push oil prices lower for the long term,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But for now, the upward pricing pressure due to tightened supply and high demand seems to have abated, and that will likely result in pump prices stabilizing.”

In market action, benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery fell $3.77 to $66.18 a barrel. Brent crude for January delivery fell $2.87 to $70.57 per barrel.

Wholesale gasoline for December delivery fell 10 cents to $1.98 a gallon. December heating oil fell 9 cents to $2.06 a gallon. January natural gas fell 28 cents to $4.57 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.