Long Island gasoline prices top $4 per gallon for the second day in a row

Gasoline prices on Long Island topped $4 per gallon on Monday for the second day in a row as the war with Iran disrupted oil production and transportation.

The average price of regular unleaded was $4.03 per gallon, up from Sunday’s $4.025. A year ago, the price was $3.09 on average — a 94-cent difference, according to AAA.

Pump prices in Nassau and Suffolk counties have risen for the past two weeks since the ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed and the Strait of Hormuz is once again closed. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that about 20% of the world’s oil passes through the waterway. 

The last time local gas prices were this high was on April 16, based on AAA data.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for the app GasBuddy, predicted Monday another spike in the cost of gasoline due to the Iran war and Ukraine’s attack on oil refineries in Russia.

Oil "markets are likely to see another jolt higher in the coming days, and motorists should brace for a rougher stretch ahead," De Haan said. "While the ongoing U.S.-Iran situation continues to weigh on markets, the story is increasingly less about crude oil and more about global refining capacity."

Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 1.3% on Monday to close at $89.22 a barrel, the highest in more than five weeks. Crude was selling for closer to $70 a barrel before Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.

In Long Beach on Monday, motorists expressed a mixture of frustration and resignation as they filled up at the Mobil station on the corner of East Park Avenue and Long Beach Road, where regular unleaded was going for $3.79 per gallon.

"I've got no choice, I've got to use my truck for work, which often takes me to Suffolk County," said Mike Flynn, 47, a carpenter from Island Park. "Gas prices are out of control, but there's nothing you can do."

Maria Schwartz, 32, a jewelry salesperson from Long Beach, said she's trying to drive less and "do errands on my commute to and from Manhasset."

That's a wise strategy, said Robert Sinclair Jr., a senior manager at AAA Northeast.

He also suggested filling up at Costco, BJ's Wholesale Club and other shopping clubs that offer lower prices and maintaining your vehicle by checking the spark plugs and tire inflation.

"But the No. 1 thing that you can do is slow down," Sinclair told Newsday. "Once you get above 50 miles per hour, the aerodynamic drag on the vehicle starts to grow exponentially, and the engine has to work so much harder in order to propel the vehicle at those speeds." 

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.