As the stalemate between Iran and the U.S. over the Gulf of Hormuz blockade continues, the price of a barrel of oil keeps climbing.
B.C. drivers can expect to see near-record prices at the pump, which are expected to rise even higher in the coming weeks.
Gas prices are set to surge again on Friday, despite the temporary suspension of the 10 cents per litre federal fuel tax that was implemented just 10 days ago.
“It’s a supply gap, it’s a supply shock, it’s an energy crisis on a scale we’ve never seen,” Dan McTeague with Canadians for Affordable Energy said.
“The damage that’s been done physically to the region makes it so it may be six months to a year to recover back to what is considered normal.”
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Petroleum analyst McTeague says if fuel climbs about five cents a litre to 221.9 on Friday, that will be the highest price since the record of 241.9 in October 2022.
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“Unlike what we saw in October of 2022, it’s not a one-day or two or three-day event,” he said.
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“This is likely the beginning of a much higher price escalation and despite the federal government dropping the excise tax 10 cents plus GST, and the year before the carbon tax of 20 cents a litre, we’re likely to break records sometime in the month of May.”
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The B.C. Taxi Association is just one organization keeping a close eye on the gas prices.
“We are just watching, watching very closely, due to the economy reasons,” Mohan Kang with the association said.
“We are much more careful how far we can go with the rising costs to customers or clients.”
U.S. peace talks with Iran are currently stalled and the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is cutting drastically into the oil supply, causing prices to steadily creep up.
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McTeague said there might be a small dip in price over the weekend, but the trajectory will continue to climb.
“The reality is oil is not dropping any time soon,” McTeague said.
“There is a serious lag and a gap that will not be resolved by a peace deal. Countries are now scrambling day by day for supplies they can’t get.”
McTeague added that many Asian and African countries, along with Australia and New Zealand, could be facing crucial shortages very soon, forcing them to consider fuel rationing and possible limitations on the usage of personal vehicles.
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