AUGUSTA (AP) – Even as gas prices edge upward, the average cash price for heating oil dropped nine cents a gallon over the past week in Maine.

In its latest statewide survey, the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security said Tuesday the average cash price dropped for a fifth consecutive week and now stands at $2.20 a gallon. Actual prices ranged from a low of $1.68 to a high of $2.45.

The agency’s director, John Kerry, says the global petroleum market “is sitting at five year lows as world economic woes continue to hold down demand for petroleum products.”

Gasoline prices, however, have crept upward. AAA says the average unleaded price in Maine has grown from $1.91 a month ago to $2 on Monday.

AP-ES-02-23-09 1714EST