Automobile users can expect prices to stay near $1.29 per gallon at least through the weekend, a survey of local gas stations revealed.

“Gas prices were inching up before the air raid,” said Steve Daggers, spokesman for the Triple A Motor Club in Chicago.

Daggers said oil prices actually were falling Thursday morning because of anticipation of a quick end to the Persian Gulf hostilities.

Major gas distributors have frozen prices during the last two days, said Russell Scott, manager of Share Oil, 730 E. Lincoln Hwy.

Amoco Oil is one of the distributors who have locked prices. “We froze our prices last night because we did not want to operate to the detriment of our customers,” said Lisa Tibbals, spokesman at Amoco headquarters.

Most of the local gas stations surveyed said gas prices had risen in the days before the Jan. 15 deadline.

Don Sebby, owner of Sebby Shell, 175 W. Lincoln Hwy., said the pump price at his station jumped six cents Monday, boosting the price from $1.23 per gallon to $1.29. He added his wholesale cost has increased by 13 cents within the last week, cutting into his profits.

The price of gas at Share Oil rose from $1.19 per gallon to $1.29, Scott said.

A gallon of gas went from $1.22 to $1.29 on Tuesday at Hickey’s, 218 W. Lincoln Hwy., said cashier Robin Lobell.

The price at Bockman’s Amoco, 705 E. Lincoln Hwy., remains $1.29 per gallon, keeping with the price freeze at Amoco, said owner Chuck Bockman.

A manager at Newby Oil, 2731 Sycamore Road, said gas prices went from $1.22 to $1.29 per gallon Wednesday morning.

A gallon of gas at Minuteman, 125 N. Annie Glidden Road, increased from $1.19 to $1.29 per gallon on Wednesday, one worker said.

One gas station’s prices differed from the others. 7-Eleven, 930 Annie Glidden Road, raised its price for a gallon of gas from $1.19 to $1.21 because of a corporate order at 3 p.m. Thursday, one worker said.