These are standardised products used to determine the prices for all other types. The reference oil traded most frequently and of major significance for the USA is West Texas Intermediate (WTI), while the most important in Asia is Dubai Fateh. Other reference oil types include Leona, Tijuana, Alaska North Slope, Zueitina or Urals. WTI and Brent are both light, sweet crude oils but differ in origin and pricing.
Price of oil (Brent Crude and WTI)
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia. There are two main differences between WTI and Brent, the location from which they are sourced and the quality of the oil. These two factors lead to a price difference between the two termed the ‘spread’ which will change depending on different supply/demand dynamics and geopolitical influences. Gold catches fresh bids on the last day of the week amid reviving safe-haven demand.
The price of WTI is a key indicator of a commodity’s supply and demand. By knowing the current price, traders can assess potential future price movements and make informed decisions about buying, selling, or holding their positions. Besides its primary role as the most important energy source, crude oil is also an essential raw material for manufacturing plastics.
GO IN-DEPTH ON Oil (Brent) PRICE
Live charts, historical data, futures contracts, and breaking news on WTI prices can be found below. Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price.
- The data includes the latest futures prices in USD per barrel with timestamps for each update.
- WTI and Brent oil futures are standardized contracts traded on futures exchanges.
- Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time.
- In December 2005 the global demand for crude oil was 83.3 million barrels per day according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and this will continue to rise further.
- WTI and Brent oil futures can be suitable for individual investors, but they come with inherent risks.
- Oil producers, refiners, and other market participants often utilize futures contracts to manage their exposure to price volatility.
WTI/USD – Crude Oil WTI Spot US Dollar
The pricing of WTI and Brent oil futures is based on the underlying spot prices of the respective crude oils. Spot prices represent the current market value of oil for immediate delivery. Futures prices are determined by market participants’ expectations of future supply, demand fundamentals, conditions, storage costs, interest rates, and other relevant factors. The relationship between the futures and Defensive stocks definition spot prices is influenced by market sentiment and the cost of carrying oil inventories. WTI (West Texas Intermediate) and Brent are two major benchmarks for crude oil prices.
WTI represents oil extracted in the United States, primarily from wells in Texas, while Brent represents oil extracted from the North Sea, primarily in the United Kingdom. WTI and Brent oil futures are financial contracts that allow participants to speculate on the future price of crude oil. Additionally, factors specific to each benchmark, such as infrastructure constraints or political stability in the respective regions, can affect their prices. Our WTI crude oil prices are updated every 5 minutes during market hours, providing near real-time data from NYMEX futures trading. The data includes the latest futures prices in USD per barrel with timestamps for each update. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing and is the underlying commodity of the New York Mercantile Exchange’s oil futures contracts.
What is WTI crude oil?
Brent makes such a good benchmark because it is easy to refine into products such as diesel, gasoline, petrol, and other end products, which are in a great and consistent demand. Keep yourself updated on relevant WTI market news and events that can influence prices. Also consider insights from financial analysts and market experts to refine your trading decisions.
How does inventory data impact the price of WTI Oil
The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa. Access real-time WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil pricing data through our professional API. The primary oil benchmark for North American markets, updated every 5 minutes. WTI and Brent oil futures are primarily traded on major futures exchanges, such as the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) for WTI and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) for Brent. These exchanges offer electronic trading platforms where traders can execute transactions and manage their positions. The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil.
Aussie and Pound are on divergent paths as respective central banks meet next week. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price advances on Thursday, early in the European session. WTI today is an important piece of information for traders for several reasons. To learn which method is the right one for you, follow the link see the article “How to Trade Oil”. The materials provided on this Web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice. The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Bets that the Fed might cut rates again in December further benefit the yellow metal. A modest USD uptick might cap further gains, warranting caution for bullish traders. Risk appetite has not fully enjoyed the treats of a Fed rate cut, strong earnings and trade peace. Fedspeak, the US Supreme Court and US data could challenge the Dollar’s current strength.
- Yes, WTI and Brent oil futures are commonly used for hedging purposes by participants in the oil industry.
- Besides its primary role as the most important energy source, crude oil is also an essential raw material for manufacturing plastics.
- Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices.
- These two factors lead to a price difference between the two termed the ‘spread’ which will change depending on different supply/demand dynamics and geopolitical influences.
WTI comes from U.S. oil fields and is delivered at Cushing, Oklahoma, while Brent originates from North Sea oil fields. Brent typically trades at a premium to WTI and is used as the global oil pricing benchmark. The current WTI crude oil price is $59.95 per barrel, updated 1 minutes ago. This is the live NYMEX futures price for West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the primary benchmark for North American oil markets.
These exchanges provide a platform for participants to buy or sell oil futures contracts. On an international level there are a number of different types of crude oil, each of which have different properties and prices. The types of crude oil come from regions as diverse as Alaska North Lope, Arab Light or Zueitina in Libya. For the purposes of trading on futures exchanges in London or New York, however, reference oils are used.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a light, sweet crude oil (petroleum with less than 0.5% sulfur is called sweet) considered one of the main global oil benchmarks, along with Brent oil. WTI is a blend of several oils drilled and processed in the United States, primarily serves as a benchmark for the US oil market. WTI and Brent oil futures can be suitable for individual investors, but they come with inherent risks. Futures trading involves leverage, meaning that a small change in the futures price can result in significant gains or losses.
Brent Crude is a particularly light crude oil which is carried from the North Sea to the Sullom Voe Terminal on Mainland, Shetland by an underwater pipeline. Trading can be done either by speculating on its market price, or exchanging the physical commodity. While Brent and WTI have distinct characteristics, their prices are interconnected. Global events, supply and demand factors, and market sentiment can cause prices to converge or diverge between the two benchmarks.