Gasoline prices dropped for the third consecutive week this week in Southern California, which usually sees the highest gasoline prices in the Unite States.

The average price of a gallon of regular self-serve gas in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area fell 4.6 cents over the past week to 2.573 dollars on Friday, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The average price is 2 cents more than last month and 12 cents higher than the same period last year, said analyst Elaine Beno of the club.

The average price per gallon dropped by eight-tenths of a cent in the two weeks of Dec. 29-Jan. 5 and Jan. 5-12.

Crude oil prices continued to drop dramatically in the past week.

"Oil industry analysts continue to state that the West Coast is an exception to the price break on fuel that the rest of the country is experiencing, due primarily to the isolation from the rest of the nation's distribution channels," said Carol Thorp, an analyst of the Auto Club.

Source: Xinhua