KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Crude oil prices are at an eight month low, but the price you're paying at the pump is still a lot higher than it was back then.

In February, crude oil prices were around $90 a barrel, and gas prices averaged $2.91 a gallon.

But Tuesday in Knoxville, the average price of gasoline stood at $3.49 a gallon.

The price difference is almost $0.60 a gallon.

A lot of motorists say it just doesn't make sense, but officials with AAA say the Southeast has the highest gas prices as we continue to deal with gas shortages.

Anne Armstrong says she doesn’t understand the high gas prices.

"I wish I knew. I could probably make a lot of money if I did know."

But Don Lindsey with AAA says oil prices tend to fluctuate more than gas prices. He says retailers often hold prices from going up when oil does then do the reverse.

Lindsey says, "When gasoline price come back down again they'd wait a little bit and not come down as fast to kinda recoup some of what they lost."

But when drivers hear low crude prices and see high gas prices.

Dick Grissom feels gas prices should be so high, and says, "I've run those numbers myself and it just doesn't compute. Somebody's making the money and where it is I don't know."

Armstrong says, "Somebody is taking advantage of people like me at the pumps."

There is one variable that's present today that wasn't back in February. There are gas shortages.

Gene Baker had a hard time finding higher grade gasoline,

“It had bags over the hoses, so I was very glad to find something open."

Lindsey says two hurricanes to the Gulf coast disrupted flow from the refineries that deliver our gasoline. The Southeast, nationally, now has the highest gas prices.

Lindsey says, "How far the gasoline will drop largely depends at this point on how quickly they can get those gasoline refineries back up."

So will we see lower gas prices? Maybe.

Lindsey says if the price continues to drop and remain lower, then yes.

But that may not be the case. Bloomberg is reporting that OPEC is looking at cutting production.

That sent the cost per barrel up more than $2 Tuesday.