KEY POINTS:
Motorists have been rushing to the pumps to fill up ahead of predictions that petrol prices could climb to $2.10 a litre as early as today.
Petrol companies are expected to raise prices today, after crude oil rose 8 per cent to a record US$139 ($183.44) a barrel on Friday.
The last crude oil increase a couple of weeks ago took 91 octane to a record $2 a litre.
Today service stations around the country were busier than usual as motorists filled up their tanks.
A Shell service station worker said motorists had been spending more than $100.
Petrol companies were reviewing prices today.
BP spokeswoman Anita Ferguson said the decision to increase prices was not taken lightly.
The rise in crude oil prices had to be considered alongside the strength of the New Zealand dollar and refining costs, she said.
A Shell spokeswoman Jackie Maitland said the high crude oil price was something the company had not seen before.
"Fingers and toes crossed that if it went up that high overnight, it would be great to see it come down again," she said.
AA motoring affairs general manager Mike Noon urged petrol companies to hold off price increases for as long as possible, because the crude price could move down again.
Shell, BP and Gull Petroleum said this morning no decision had been made raising petrol prices, but Gull spokesman Graham Stark said there was a "good chance" there would be an increase.
- NZPA
