As of June 2025, the average annual price of Brent crude oil stood at 71.91 U.S. dollars per barrel. This is over eight U.S. dollars lower than the 2024 average. Brent is the world's leading price benchmark for Atlantic basin crude oils. Crude oil is one of the most closely observed commodity prices as it influences costs across all stages of the production process and consequently alters the price of consumer goods as well. What determines crude oil benchmarks? In the past decade, crude oil prices have been especially volatile. Their inherent inelasticity regarding short-term changes in demand and supply means that oil prices are erratic by nature. However, since the 2009 financial crisis, many commercial developments have greatly contributed to price volatility, such as economic growth by BRIC countries like China and India, and the advent of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in the U.S. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war are examples of geopolitical events dictating prices. Light crude oils - Brent and WTI Brent Crude is considered a classification of sweet light crude oil and acts as a benchmark price for oil around the world. It is considered a sweet light crude oil due to its low sulfur content and low density and may be easily refined into gasoline. This oil originates in the North Sea and comprises several different oil blends, including Brent Blend and Ekofisk crude. Often, this crude oil is refined in Northwest Europe. Another sweet light oil often referenced alongside UK Brent is West Texas Intermediate (WTI). WTI oil prices amounted to 76.55 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2024.

Brent fell to 71.82 USD/Bbl on July 31, 2025, down 0.90% from the previous day. Over the past month, Brent's price has risen 7.02%, but it is still 9.69% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Brent crude oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

On June 16, 2025, the Brent crude oil price stood at 72.89 U.S. dollars per barrel, compared to 71.77 U.S. dollars for WTI oil and 73.15 U.S. dollars for the OPEC basket. Crude oil prices rose slightly compared to the previous week.Europe's Brent crude oil, the U.S. WTI crude oil, and OPEC's basket are three of the most important benchmarks used by traders as reference for oil and gasoline prices. Lowest ever oil prices during coronavirus pandemic In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in crude oil prices hitting a major slump as oil demand drastically declined following lockdowns and travel restrictions. Initial outlooks and uncertainty surrounding the course of the pandemic brought about a disagreement between two of the largest oil producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia, in early March. Bilateral talks between global oil producers ended in agreement on April 13th, with promises to cut petroleum output and hopes rising that these might help stabilize the oil price in the coming weeks. However, with storage facilities and oil tankers quickly filling up, fears grew over where to store excess oil, leading to benchmark prices seeing record negative prices between April 20 and April 22, 2020. How crude oil prices are determined As with most commodities, crude oil prices are impacted by supply and demand, as well as inventories and market sentiment. However, as oil is most often traded in future contracts (whereby a contract is agreed upon, while the product delivery will follow in the next two to three months), market speculation is one of the principal determinants for oil prices. Traders make conclusions on how production output and consumer demand will likely develop over the coming months, leaving room for uncertainty. Spot prices differ from futures in so far as they reflect the current market price of a commodity.

Crude Oil rose to 70.07 USD/Bbl on July 31, 2025, up 0.09% from the previous day. Over the past month, Crude Oil's price has risen 7.05%, but it is still 8.18% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Crude Oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

South Africa Brent Crude Oil Price: US Dollar data was reported at 72.820 USD in Aug 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 74.240 USD for Jul 2018. South Africa Brent Crude Oil Price: US Dollar data is updated monthly, averaging 19.340 USD from Jan 1960 (Median) to Aug 2018, with 704 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 133.860 USD in Jul 2008 and a record low of 2.140 USD in Aug 1966. South Africa Brent Crude Oil Price: US Dollar data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by South African Reserve Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.P005: Brent Crude Oil Price.

The average spot price for West Texas Intermediate crude oil came to 76.63 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2024, a decrease of nearly one U.S. dollars compared to the previous year. The 2024 average spot price for Brent crude oil was 80.52 U.S. dollars. Both Brent and WTI are light crude oils, with the first used as a benchmark for gasoline prices around the world. Spot prices vs. future prices Spot prices refer to current market prices under which a commodity such as one barrel of crude oil may be bought for immediate delivery. In contrast, future prices refer to settlement and delivery at a later date. As a major refinery and storage hub, Cushing in Oklahoma is the delivery location for WTI traded via the New York Mercantile Exchange. When storage capacities threatened to reach their maximum capacity in April 2020, the WTI oil price crashed as a result, trading at record low prices. The WTI oil price fell into negative numbers for the first time in its history, closing out at negative 37.63 U.S. dollars per barrel on April 20th. The lowest value for Brent prices was 19.33 U.S. dollars per barrel. Influences on oil prices Oil prices are volatile commodities as their trading and delivery is heavily influenced by overall market development and geopolitical events. For example, the Russia-Ukraine war and resulting Russian sanctions brought about fears of supply bottlenecks, which pushed oil prices to decade-highs also reflected in the 2022 annual average.

Urals Oil rose to 68.86 USD/Bbl on July 31, 2025, up 0.32% from the previous day. Over the past month, Urals Oil's price has risen 11.84%, but it is still 8.49% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Urals Crude.

United States - Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe was 62.29000 $ per Barrel in May of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe reached a record high of 141.07000 in July of 2008 and a record low of 9.44000 in December of 1998. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

United States - Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe was 80.52000 $ per Barrel in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe reached a record high of 111.63000 in January of 2012 and a record low of 12.76000 in January of 1998. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

In June 2025, the price for one barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil averaged 68.17 U.S. dollars. This was an increase compared to the previous month which had seen the lowest figure in the past 24-month period. WTI and other benchmark crudes WTI is also known as "Texas light sweet", and is a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark for oil produced in the United States. It has an API gravity of around 39.6 and specific gravity of about 0.827, which, relative to other crude oils, is considered “light,” hence the name. WTI also contains about 0.24 percent sulfur, making it a “sweet” crude oil. The price of WTI can be compared to the prices other of crude oils, i.e. UK Brent, the OPEC basket, and Dubai Fateh oil. WTI crude oil is the underlying commodity of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s oil futures contracts. U.S. oil production and its influence on light oil prices The price development of WTI crude oil relative to Brent crude oil has been influenced by variances in U.S. crude oil transportation and increased U.S. oil production. New transportation infrastructure became operational in early 2013, easing the movement of crude oil in the mid-continent and raising the price of WTI. Since then, U.S. refineries have increased production of crude oil to record levels, also raising the price of WTI. Meanwhile, expedited crude transport in the U.S. put downward pressure on Brent crude oil as domestic crude replaced some imported Brent crude. Between 2014 and 2016, UK Brent prices dropped rapidly, as was the case for all other crude oils.

In April 2025, the average price of the OPEC basket was 68.98 U.S. dollars per barrel. This was a notable decrease compared to the previous month and the lowest value in the past 24 months. The OPEC basket is a weighted average of prices for petroleum blends produced by OPEC countries. OPEC stands for “Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries,” and was founded in 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. The main aim of OPEC is to coordinate the oil policies of its members, and thus to have more influence on the international oil market. It is used as an important benchmark for crude oil prices. The OPEC basket oil price The OPEC crude oil price is defined by the price of the so-called OPEC (reference) basket. This basket is an average of the prices of petroleum blends that are produced by the OPEC members. The following countries are members of this organization: Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates. Some of these oil blends are, for example: Saharan Blend from Algeria, Basra Light from Iraq, and Arab Light from Saudi Arabia. The OPEC reference basket includes both heavy and light crude oils, and is heavier than most other crudes. OPEC's oil production amounted to 34 million barrels per day in 2023. Oil price benchmarks The OPEC basket is one of the most crucial benchmarks for crude oil pricing worldwide. Other significant benchmarks are UK Brent, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), and Dubai Crude (Fateh). Because there are many types and grades of oil, such benchmarks are indispensable for referencing them on the global oil market. Looking at the OPEC price within the last two years, the highest price was some 94.6 U.S. dollars per barrel in September 2023.

The price of Urals crude oil was recorded at 16.77 U.S. dollars per barrel below the benchmark Brent on September 20, 2023 (based on a rolling average of the past five days). The difference increased after a price cap on Russian oil was announced on December 2, 2022, and took effect on December 5, 2022, but it has been decreasing since end-March 2023. At the end of February 2022 and throughout March 2022, the discount rose significantly, reflecting the market reaction to the Russia-Ukraine war. In August 2023, the average price of Urals oil reached 74.5 U.S. dollars per barrel.

Russian oil price cap In December 2022, members of the G7, together with the European Union (EU) and Australia, limited the price of one barrel of Russian oil to 60 U.S. dollars in response to the war in Ukraine. The cap was planned to be reviewed every two months to reflect future market developments. The Russian government stated it would not supply oil to the countries imposing a price ceiling on its oil. While the effect of the ban on global oil prices is yet to be seen, it is expected that the ban would benefit other oil producing countries, as the EU would have to replace Russian supplies with other routes. Germany and Poland were the leading importers of Russian oil in the EU in 2021.

EU ban on Russian oil imports
The EU ban on Russian seaborne crude oil imports, announced in June 2022, took effect on December 5, 2022. Furthermore, refined petroleum products will be included from February 5, 2023. Even though the EU prohibited imports of Russian oil and refined products, it still allowed their transport to non-EU countries as long as they are purchased for 60 U.S. dollars per barrel or lower. As a result of the ban, Russia's oil production was forecast to decline to 438 million metric tons in 2022, down 10 percent from the previous year.

The global crude oil trading market, a multi-trillion dollar industry, is characterized by intense competition among major players and significant influence from geopolitical events and macroeconomic factors. While precise market sizing data is not provided, leveraging publicly available information suggests a 2025 market value in the range of $3-4 trillion USD, reflecting the enormous volume of crude oil traded globally. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) – while unspecified – is likely to be in the low single digits over the forecast period (2025-2033), influenced by factors such as fluctuating demand driven by global economic growth, the ongoing energy transition toward renewable sources, and OPEC+ production policies. Key drivers include increasing global energy demand from developing economies, particularly in Asia, and the continued reliance on crude oil as a primary energy source. Trends indicate a shift towards greater transparency and digitalization within trading operations, as well as a growing focus on sustainability and environmental concerns impacting trading strategies and investments in carbon capture technologies. Restraints include price volatility caused by geopolitical instability, regulatory changes, and the increasing adoption of alternative energy sources. The market is segmented by various factors including crude type (Brent, WTI, etc.), trading location (spot, futures, etc.), and geographical regions. The major players in this market, including Vitol, Trafigura, Glencore, Gunvor, and the integrated oil majors (BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, Chevron), continue to dominate the landscape due to their established networks, financial strength, and access to vast resources. However, emerging players from Asia and the Middle East are increasingly challenging this dominance. Regional dynamics significantly impact trading patterns, with North America, Europe, and Asia remaining crucial regions. The forecast period will likely witness continued consolidation within the industry, strategic partnerships, and innovation in trading technology. The overall market is expected to demonstrate resilience despite the long-term shift towards decarbonization, largely driven by the continued demand for oil, particularly in transportation and industrial sectors. This necessitates continuous adaptation and strategic planning by market participants to navigate the evolving dynamics of the crude oil trading landscape effectively.

In May 2025, the average monthly price of the Urals crude oil, Russia's major export oil brand, was approximately ***** U.S. dollars per barrel, having decreased from the previous month. In 2020, the price of the Urals experienced a considerable decrease at the beginning of the year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, dropping to as low as **** U.S. dollars per barrel in April. What is the purpose of the Russian oil price cap? In early December 2022, the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States), the European Union (EU), and Australia formed the Price Cap Coalition and imposed a price cap of 60 U.S. dollars per barrel on oil originating in Russia. The aim of the price ceiling is to decrease Russia’s earnings from oil exports and thereby limit the Russian government’s budget to finance the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the cap is meant to ensure that Russia continues to supply oil to emerging economies, though at a discounted price. With the cap in place, Russia cannot sell oil at a higher price even to third countries if the oil tankers are financed or insured by members of the Price Cap Coalition. In early February 2023, a price cap of 100 U.S. dollars per barrel was imposed on Russian refined oil products. Global dependence on Russian oil China was Russia’s leading crude oil export destination, with the value of exports measured at nearly **** billion U.S. dollars in 2021. In physical terms, Russia supplied around *** million metric tons of crude oil to China in 2024, being the leading crude oil import origin in the country ahead of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, European countries were major consumers of Russian oil prior to the war in Ukraine. For instance, Russia accounted for over ** percent of oil and petroleum products imported into Slovakia in 2020. To compare, the dependence rate stood at nearly ** percent in Lithuania, ** percent in Germany, and ** percent in the UK.

The primary data used in the paper are the published weekly price of Ron97 (CompareHero.my, 2020; Malaysia, 2021; The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, 2020) , daily crude oil price in barrels (WTI, BRENT and OPEC) (EIA, 2020; OPEC, 2020) and daily foreign exchange rate (Selling rate) of the Ringgit per US dollars (Bank Negara, 2020). The data is pre-processed to clean the data and standardize the data for the modelling process. The crude oil price and foreign exchange rates are converted to weekly averages. Daily missing data are replaced with weekly averages. The foreign exchange rates, (G) in Ringgits per US dollar(RM/USD) (Bank Negara, 2020), is multiplied with the international crude oil price (X) to convert ringgits per barrel( RM/bbl), (I), using Equation(2). The crude oil price are converted to ringgit per litre using the Barrel to Litre Metric Conversion (M)(Ltd, 2020), as shown in Equation(3).

Natural gas fell to 3.01 USD/MMBtu on July 31, 2025, down 1.25% from the previous day. Over the past month, Natural gas's price has fallen 11.95%, but it is still 52.78% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Natural gas - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Naphtha fell to 555.09 USD/T on July 30, 2025, down 0.03% from the previous day. Over the past month, Naphtha's price has risen 2.87%, but it is still 19.17% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Naphtha - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Shell, formerly Royal Dutch Shell, reported a total revenue of 284.31 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. This was a decrease compared to the previous year as crude oil prices were notably lower than in the previous two years. As one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, the company reported its greatest profits during years when the average benchmark oil prices, such as the Brent crude, were particularly high. Shell's financials Shell is one of the so-called Big Oil companies, the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies worldwide, and operates in every vertical of the oil and gas industry. The company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. In 2024, it was the fourth highest ranked oil and gas company based on revenues following Sinopec, PetroChina, and ExxonMobil. Asia and Europe are the regions generating most of Shell's revenues, accounting for around two thirds. Shell’s oil and natural gas liquids production In 2024, Shell’s oil and natural gas liquids production amounted to over 531 million barrels worldwide. Since 2022, the company’s production output has remained around 530 million barrels. That same year, Asia was the region with the highest production with over 190 million barrels of liquids produced.

In June 2025, the price of Merey crude oil – Venezuela’s reference export blend – averaged ***** U.S. dollars per barrel, down from ***** U.S. dollars per barrel the previous month. Merey crude oil has been part of the OPEC basket since January 2009. A blend of extra-heavy crude oil from the Orinoco belt and lighter grades, Venezuela’s export oil is the heaviest component in the basket, and, in turn, has historically reported the lowest average price in the OPEC basket. The 2020's oil crisis Crude oil prices worldwide dropped dramatically in the first months of 2020, the result of an unprecedented decline in demand as lockdown measures were implemented globally in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. With storage facilities filling up, WTI crude oil reached a record negative price in the third week of April. Since then, prices have seen a mostly continual recovery. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022, prices surged to levels last seen in 2008, with reference oil blends Brent, WTI, and OPEC basket averaging at more than *** U.S. dollars per barrel in summer 2022. Venezuela’s struggling oil sector The global decline in prices brought upon by the pandemic was only the most recent blow to the South American country's oil industry. Despite holding the largest proved oil reserves in the world, Venezuela’s oil production has declined notably. In 2023, it averaged around ******* barrels per day, a third of the level registered a decade earlier. A political and economic crisis as well as resulting U.S. sanctions have led to a rise in oil stocks in the country, affecting both prices and production.

The U.S. auto industry sold nearly three million cars in 2024. That year, total car and light truck sales were approximately 15.9 million in the United States. U.S. vehicle sales peaked in 2016 at roughly 17.5 million units. Pandemic impact The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the U.S. automotive market, accelerating the global automotive semiconductor shortage and leading to a drop in demand during the first months of 2020. However, as demand rebounded, new vehicle supply could not keep up with the market. U.S. inventory-to-sales ratio dropped to its lowest point in February 2022, as Russia's war on Ukraine lead to gasoline price hikes. During that same period, inflation also impacted new and used car prices, pricing many U.S. consumers out of a market with increasingly lower car stocks. Focus on fuel economy The U.S. auto industry had one of its worst years in 1982 when customers were beginning to feel the effects of the 1973 oil crisis and the energy crisis of 1979. Since light trucks would often be considered less fuel-efficient, cars accounted for about 77 percent of light vehicle sales back then. Thanks to improved fuel economy for light trucks and cheaper gas prices, this picture had completely changed in 2020. That year, prices for Brent oil dropped to just over 40 U.S. dollars per barrel. The decline occurred in tandem with lower gasoline prices, which came to about 2.17 U.S. dollars per gallon in 2020 - and cars only accounted for less than one-fourth of light vehicle sales that year. Four years on, prices are dropping again, after being the highest on record since 1990 in 2022.