- Gas prices in some Utah counties have fallen to or below $4 per gallon.
- Salt Lake County sees the lowest prices; the highest are reported in Daggett and Wayne counties.
SALT LAKE CITY — Gas prices in some Utah counties have joined the national average in sliding to or below $4 per gallon for the first time in months, as crude oil makes it through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the statewide average remains above the national average.
The cost of a regular gallon of gas fell to $4.14 statewide on Thursday, AAA reported. That's 45 cents below its average a month ago, following four straight weeks of declines, said Doug Johnson, a spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group.
Prices have declined since the U.S. and Iran reached a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he explained. Iran had closed the strait when the U.S. began attacking the country in late February, creating a strain on the global oil supply chain.
"These sliding gas prices are welcome news for millions of people who are preparing to travel for Independence Day in record numbers starting next weekend," Johnson added.
Most of the lower prices are located along the Wasatch Front and northern Utah at the moment. Salt Lake County had the lowest average on Thursday, at $3.99 per gallon, while Cache, Utah and Weber counties were all also flirting with sub-$4 prices on Thursday.
The highest prices remain in the northeast and southern parts of the state, with averages as high as $4.89 per gallon in Daggett County and $4.74 per gallon in Wayne County.
Global prices remain higher than before the war, the Associated Press reported. It noted that oil prices fell to approximately $80 for a barrel of benchmark crude on Monday, down from a peak of about $120 but still up from $67 before the conflict.
President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday, which calls for Tehran to reduce its stockpile of uranium in exchange of U.S.-backed sanctions on the country. It noted that it also called on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open without tolls for at least the next two months.
