The new maximum allowable price (MAP), or wholesale price, which went into effect yesterday shows a slight drop in gasoline , while other petroleum products sold in American Samoa had a slight increase.

Sione Kava with the ASG Office of Petroleum Management (OPM) announced late last week that the new MAP for gasoline will see a decrease of 4 cents per gallon, down to $3.85 per gallon.

As of last Friday, average gasoline price in the territory was around $4.31 and the drop in the MAP is expected to reduce gasoline prices at the pump. OPM is expected to carry out later this week a check of local gas stations for an average price, following the new MAP.

As of yesterday morning the national average gas price in the U.S. was  $3.79 per gallon, while Hawai'i's average is $4.38.

Crude oil prices stood at $92.99 a barrel, according to the hawaiigasprices.com website, which tracks daily gas prices in the Aloha State.

For the territory's jet fuel and kerosene, the new MAP is $3.96 per gallon, an increase of 6 cents, said Kava, who added that there is a slight hike  in the new MAP for diesel products.

The new MAP has road diesel at $4.16 per gallon; boilers/generators (used by the Tafuna Power plant) at $3.85 per gallon; commercial fishing vessel diesel at $3.72 per gallon and other marine diesel at $3.77 — an overall increase of one cent per gallon, said Kava.

According to OPM there is a two-cent per gallon hike for the Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), which is used for the eleven generators at the American Samoa Power Authority’s temporary power generation system (TPGS) in Satala, and the ULSD road diesel used by Education Department school buses.