U.S. gas prices rise for eighth week in a row, report says

NEW YORK — The national average price for gasoline climbed for the eighth straight week, according to a government report released Monday.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that drivers paid an average of $2.610 a gallon for regular gasoline in the week that ended Monday, up from $2.577 the prior week.

Retail gasoline prices are 11.2 cents higher than they were a year ago at this time.

The pump price rose most drastically in the Rocky Mountain region, where average prices jumped 5 cents from the prior week to $2.538 a gallon. However, drivers on the West Coast paid the highest average price of $3.016 a gallon, up from $2.977 a week earlier.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, gasoline for April delivery gained nearly 7 cents to settle at $2.0677 a gallon after trading at its highest level since September.

The retail price of gasoline has followed the futures market sharply higher in recent weeks. The trek north has been spurred by a drop in U.S. gasoline inventories ahead of the summer driving season, when gasoline demand spikes and prices typically hit their peak.

A barrel of crude oil for May delivery rose 63 cents to settle at $62.91 a barrel on the Nymex.