Climbing crude oil prices are sending pump prices higher despite lower demand for gas. Crude oil prices have surged to around $85 per barrel, elevating gas prices at a time of year when they are usually at seasonal lows. Triple A’s Marie Dodds says the national average for a gallon of gas is $3.31, its highest price since December 2021. The Oregon average is $3.92,  now at its highest price since July 2014. And in Bend, the average for a gallon of regular is $4.02. According to Dodds, the jump in crude oil prices is fueled by the perception that the COVID-19 Omicron variant may ebb, allowing the world’s economies to expand.