Global gasoline prices mostly dipped in December thanks to easing crude oil but were still higher than a year ago, a survey showed.

However the volatile crude oil market may provide only a limited relief to drivers in coming months.
 By country, the costliest petrol is the Netherlands in December, taking over from Europe’s top oil producer Norway, which fell to second place.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, was near the bottom in the 20-nation survey.
In the US, the average retail gasoline price fell to $2.998 a US gallon (70 cents per litre), falling below $3 for the first time in seven weeks, the government said earlier.
But the price was 68 cents higher than mid-December in 2006.
International benchmark US crude has fallen bu the price level is still 40 percent higher than a year earlier and political concerns, such as tension between Turkey and Iran, and refinery strikes in France, which disrupted some supplies there, have led to short term spikes in crude prices in December.
In Britain, petrol prices eased from record highs. But the UK Automobile Association said crude oil over $90 a barrel might still keep it costly.
“It seemed that soaring UK fuel prices may have turned the corner to give hard-pressed motorists and businesses some respite,” said Paul Watters, the head of AA Public Affairs. “In the short term, Turkish military strikes in Iraq and disruption to French refineries does not bode well for any immediate fall in fuel prices.”
Britain came fourth in the European rankings in dollar terms, according to Reuters’ calculations. The December petrol price averaged 1.0281 pound ($2.04) a litre as of December19, the AA said.
The price was slightly down from an all time high of 1.0287 hit on December 9. But the level was 1.3 pence higher than November.
Most other European countries have seen pump prices easing on month-on-month basis.
In dollar terms, the Netherlands’ pump price, $2.17 a litre, is the world’s highest. It was 1.51 euros, down by 1 euro centsfrom November.
A few countries which have seen rises in retail gasoline prices include Russia and Brazil. In dollar terms, Russia’s December average pump prices ticked up by 1 cents to 81 cents a litre.
The gasoline sold at the pump is blended with around 25 per cent ethanol. Ethanol soldel at 1.483 reais a litre on the retail market in December, up from last month’s 1.398 average.
Citizens in Saudi Arabia pay just 12 cents a litre. The average prices in Iran and Venezuela were 11 cents and 3 cents a litre, respectively.