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The national average price of regular gasoline plunged 53 in the two weeks ended Friday to $2.78 a gallon, according to the latest Lundberg Survey of filling stations released Sunday.

Mid-grade averaged $2.93, and premium averaged $3.05, analyst Trilby Lundberg in her filling-station survey, which is released twice a month.

The downturn coincided with plunging oil prices, which have fallen more than 50% to near $60 a barrel since topping out at $145.18 in mid-July.

Gasoline was cheapest in Wichita, Kan., at $2.26 a gallon, and most expensive in Anchorage, Alaska, at $3.50, Lundberg said.

The Energy Department comes out with its weekly survey of diesel and gasoline pump prices Monday afternoon in Washington.