Gas prices continue to shrink in Maryland and around the country, with the average price per gallon in the state dropping 11 cents in the last week to $3.12 a gallon Friday, according to driver advocacy group AAA Mid-Atlantic.
In the Baltimore region, the average stood at $3.08 on Friday, AAA found.
The group expects prices could drop as much as 20 cents more by the end of the year, barring unforeseen circumstances.
The declines come as a result of increased global supply of crude oil, including from the United States, and despite ongoing violence in the Middle East. Crude oil was trading around $80 a barrel this week.
Nationally, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline fell to $3.14 a gallon on Friday, which is a record low for the year and 10 cents below prices last week.
In Virginia and Delaware, average prices per gallon have dropped below $3.00. Some outlets on the Maryland's Eastern Shore and in the Baltimore region have also cut prices below the $3.00 mark.
The $3.12 average in Maryland is 22 cents below last month and 21 cents below prices this time last year, AAA found.
Salisbury had an average price of $3.00 per gallon on Friday, while the average in the Maryland suburbs around Washington stood at $3.17. In Hagerstown, the average price per gallon Friday was $3.23.
twitter.com/rectorsun