Valero refinery explosion in Port Arthur unlikely to spike Houston gas prices, experts say

Gas prices have been climbing since the war in Iran began. Now, an explosion at a Valero refinery in Port Arthur has drivers wondering: How much worse could it get? Richard Talamantez owns and operates Nom Tom Bot HTX in Houston. Like many small business owners, he keeps a close eye on fuel costs — because they hit his bottom line directly. “It’s something we think about every day,” Talamantez said. “It’s made the cost of doing business a lot higher and our margins a lot thinner.”