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Gas Prices Continue To Change On Hourly, Daily Status

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JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — Consumers are shaking their heads and wondering how much gas prices will go up next. Here is a sampling of gas prices that WRAL.com has found across the area.

JOHNSTON COUNTY

Prices are changing so quickly at a BP in Benson that the employees decided to stop posting the numbers.

"The price went up 21 cents Wednesday," said one gas station attendant. "Today, it only went up four [cents] so far, but like I said, it isn't over yet."

Gas prices have varied from block to block, regardless of the area. Some gas stations have prices such as $3.01; and just down the road, prices range from $3.19 to $3.29 a gallon.

"I think it's a lot of monkey business going on," customer Curtis Bain said.

Byrd's Gas and Grocery in Johnston County does not have any gas, and it will be Saturday before the station gets more. The sign says $1.99, but it is for a half-gallon because the owner's pumps are too old to register the higher numbers.

WAKE COUNTY

Managers and clerks at several gas stations in Wake County said prices may increase to $4 a gallon for regular gas by the end of Thursday.

Gina Jones, a service writer at Eastgate Shell Service, said customers should not be surprised if prices increase to $5.

"We have plenty of gas right now," she said. "But we don't know when our next shipment of gasoline is coming in. It could be several weeks."

As of noon Thursday, Eastgate Shell Service had 9,000 gallons of gasoline and was charging $3.29 for regular gas.

CHAPEL HILL/DURHAM

Clerks at gas stations in Durham and Chapel Hill said they had heard reports that several stations in the Triangle area had run out of gas. But, on the whole, there was a plenty supply of gas, they said.

"The big problem is that the media has caused people to panic," the owner of a gas station in Chapel Hill said. "People are coming in and trying to fill up all kinds of containers, including mason jars and Styrofoam cups."

The owner said he has a stable supply of gas for the time being and has kept his prices at $2.99 a gallon for unleaded gas. But an Exxon station several miles down the road increased its prices three times on Thursday since 6 a.m. -- going from $2.99 for regular to $3.29 at about 2 p.m.

"I think you may see gas prices going up and down over the next several days," a clerk at a Kangaroo station in Chapel Hill said. "Everyone's in the same situation and we're all just trying to keep up with each other. Right now, every thing is stable. We've got some lines, but the wait is only about 10 to 15 minutes."

FAYETTEVILLE

The manager of the Family Fare BP on Hay Street said rumors had circulated in the community that the gas stations were going to shut down at noon Thursday, but there was no truth to the rumors.

"People are scared, and it's these rumors that people have started that have caused the panic," the manager said. "There's nothing to be scared of."

She said her store and the surrounding gas stations have a stable supply of gas, though they have increased their gas prices since Thursday morning from $2.99 to $3.29 at about noon.

WILSON

Clerks in Wilson said they had not heard any reports of gas shortages in the area and business was normal.

Since last year at this time, gas prices have gone up 73 cents a gallon.

Some gas stations are requesting that motorists pre-pay for their gas for fears that gas-driveoff incidents may increase. Durham police said they have had 14 incidents since the beginning of the week. Raleigh police have seen four in the last couple of days.

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