Terry Richards | The Valdosta Daily TimesStorm clouds build in the distance behind a convenience store in Valdosta Sunday.

VALDOSTA — While national and state gasoline prices inched upward last week, Valdosta’s took a flying leap, according to statistics.

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the city Sunday was $2.70, a hike of eight cents from the $2.62 a gallon registered seven days earlier, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

In comparison, the national average gasoline price Sunday, $2.88 a gallon, only increased three cents from the previous Sunday, while Georgia’s average of $2.72 was up only a penny in the same period, the auto club said.

Valdosta was tied with Gainesville for the sixth most expensive gasoline in the state Sunday out of the 15 Georgia markets surveyed by AAA.

The lowest price for gasoline in Valdosta Sunday was reported as $2.61 a gallon at a convenience store at the corner of Baytree Road and Melody Lane, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com.

In Friday market action, energy companies rose as benchmark U.S. crude rose 1.6 percent to $73.25 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 1.2 percent to $82.72 per barrel in London.

Wholesale gasoline added 0.9 percent to $2.10 a gallon. Heating oil rose 1.2 percent to $2.35 a gallon. Natural gas fell 1.6 percent to $3.01 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.