Sudden metro Detroit gas price hike blamed on unexpected refinery shutdown

“As Labor Day weekend approaches, the effects of an outage at a major Indiana petroleum refinery, combined with additional factors, means Michigan families are seeing an increase in the price at the pump”. That’s a 65 cent increase in Michiana, during a time when national gas prices are decreasing.

6 News Alexis Rosado investigates why the price is going up and talks to a state senator who is looking into the numbers.

Gas prices went up Monday after the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana shut down for maintenance.

Lawmakers in Lansing want answers for the recent surge in gas prices.

It could take around a month for the refinery to be fixed. “So this is much more than BP that is seeing higher prices it’s an entire region”, said Patrick Dehaan, GasBuddy.com.

State Senate Energy and Technology Committee Co-Chairman John Proos has asked state Attorney General Bill Schuette to open an investigation into a gas price spike stemming from a refinery “mechanical breakdown” in Indiana. “We are of course reminded that the failure to approve the Keystone XL pipeline years ago does impact supply and has prevented infrastructure improvements to both pipelines and refinery expansions that may have alleviated the current situation”. If a auto has a recall we don’t pay that as consumers do we.

“It’s clear that there’s a constraint in the manufacturing process”, Proos said.

“Stations have not yet passed on the full increase”, says DeHaan, ” so what you are seeing with 2.99 may not be as bad as it gets”.

“Unfortunately we could see prices going over $3 a gallon in the next couple of days”.