TEXAS — Consumers continue to see higher gas prices across the U.S. and in Texas compared to this time last year as tensions continue in the Middle East, with unleaded gas hovering over $3 a gallon across the state.

Texas oil and gas expert R.T. “Rey” Trevino shared his insight on oil barrel prices and whether Texans could soon see some relief at the pump.

The price of gas is an everyday conversation piece for Houston drivers like Kia Babb, who stopped to fill up at a Shell gas station in the Heights area, roughly two miles west of downtown Houston. She reflected on a recent chat with her dad about the current gas prices.

“He was like, ‘Yeah, I remember when gas was a dollar,” she said, adding she was using an app to save money on her $3.49 per gallon unleaded purchase.

Gas prices in Houston are hovering over $3 as the Iran war continues into its fifth month.

“They’re expensive, but you know, gotta work, gotta drive, so it’s kind of how it goes,” said Simon Vazquez, another driver.

Trevino says there’s hope for consumers.

“The national average is somewhere around $3.80 a gallon,” he said. “Oil prices are anywhere right now between $65 and $75 a barrel. I do believe that that will continue to grow the economy. As a whole, prices have gone down over $30 over the last 45-60 days.”

He explained why the price at the pump is still more than $3 a gallon, despite the decrease in the price of oil.

“Keep in mind that oil prices and gasoline prices are about three weeks difference when it comes to getting gasoline prices steady again,” he said, adding it depends on how the foreign trade agreements and conflicts play out. “This administration took out their two main purchases, and that was Venezuela and Iran, and they were buying cheap oil, so now that’s gonna draw China to the negotiating table at some point.”

Trevino says if China got involved, that could cause gas prices to climb again sometime in the future, but for now, that’s not a concern.

“I do expect gas prices to get below $3 as we head into the school year,” he said. “The refineries are gonna get there. Wall Street sees a lot of ease in the tensions in the Middle East, and I expect it to continue to be that way during the rest of these mediations.”

Meanwhile, drivers are keeping an eye on the price at the pump.

“At the end of the day, you save, work, do what you gotta do,” said Babb.