Aug. 12—VALDOSTA — Gasoline prices dipped a little in South Georgia during the past week, while state and national prices barely shifted.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Valdosta late in the week was $3.59, down seven cents in a week, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The lowest price reported in the Azalea City was $3.39 per gallon at a Baytree Road store; the lowest price in Tifton was $3.37 per gallon at a store on Tift Avenue and another on U.S. Hwy. 82 W., according to the price tracking website gasbudddy.com.

Valdosta was tied with Warner Robins for the fifth least-expensive prices among the 15 Georgia fuel markets monitored by the auto club: Above Rome, Macon, Dalton and Catoosa but below Savannah, Hinesville, Gainesville, Columbus, Brunswick, Augusta, Atlanta, Athens and Albany.

Nationally, the average price of gasoline was $3.84 per gallon, up three cents from seven days earlier, while the Georgia average of $3.64 per gallon was down two cents during the same period, AAA said.

"We appear to be at a fork in the road when it comes to which direction gas prices will take — up or down," said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. "The summer heat that kept people home and suppressed refinery production has eased for now, so we have to look at the cost of oil to determine if the recent price climb is ending. More expensive oil will likely lead to higher prices, so stay tuned."

In market action, benchmark U.S. crude lost 6 cents to $82.76 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, lost 5 cents to $86.35 per barrel in London.

It declined $1.15 the previous session to $86.40.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.