The price of oil has a significant impact on the global economy, as it affects various sectors such as transportation, manufacturing, and energy production. The concept of LLS (Louisiana Light Sweet) oil price refers to the price of light sweet crude oil produced in the Gulf of Mexico region, specifically off the coast of Louisiana, USA. LLS oil is characterized by its low sulfur content and high API gravity, which makes it easier to refine into gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum-based products. It is a

In February 2025, the average price of one barrel of Brent crude oil was 75.44 U.S. dollars. This was some four U.S. dollars below prices the previous month as demand for oil was expected to stagnate in the coming months. Brent terminology and most common uses Brent is the world's leading price benchmark for Atlantic basin crude oils. It is used to price two thirds of the internationally traded crude oil supplies and is also the most significant crude oil benchmark for Europe. Brent crude originates in the North Sea and includes oils from Brent and Forties Oil Field in the United Kingdom, and from the Oseborg and Ekofisk oil fields, both oil reserves in Norway. Other names for Brent are Brent Blend, London Brent and Brent petroleum. The name Brent comes from the Brent oil field, located north-east of the Shetland Islands, and thus part of the United Kingdom. Because the Brent oil field already passed its production peak, today the benchmark Brent includes oil from the other three major oil fields. Brent, next to West Texas Intermediate (WTI), is one of the lightest crude oils. With a low content of sulfur, it is ranged among the so-called sweet crude oils. Most of the Brent crude oil is refined into gasoline and middle distillates in Northwest Europe. Benchmark oil prices Other crucial benchmarks for crude oil prices are the already mentioned U.S.- WTI and Dubai Crude (Fateh). They are indispensable for referencing the many types and grades of oil on the global market. In the past twenty years, the annual price for one barrel of Brent crude oil saw a net increase. For example, the average price per barrel stood at 80.53 U.S. dollars in 2024.

LLS Crude refers to the Light Louisiana Sweet crude oil, highly regarded in the oil market for its superior quality and low sulfur content. Extracted from offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, it serves as a benchmark for pricing other types of crude oil. Its exceptional quality requires less processing, reduces emissions, and lowers production costs. The LLS-WTI spread, based on NYMEX WTI crude oil futures contract, is an indicator of regional supply and demand. LLS crude is a critical component of the

Brent crude oil is projected to have an average annual spot price of 74.5 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2025, according to a forecast from February 2025. This would mean a decrease of six U.S. dollars compared to the previous year, and also reflects a reduced forecast WTI crude oil price. All about Brent Also known as Brent Blend, London Brent, and Brent petroleum, Brent Crude is a crude oil benchmark named after the exploration site in the North Sea's Brent oilfield. It is a sweet light crude oil but slightly heavier than West Texas Intermediate. In this context, sweet refers to a low sulfur content and light refers to a relatively low density when compared to other crude oil benchmarks. Price development in the 2020s Oil prices are volatile, impacted by consumer demand and discoveries of new oilfields, new extraction methods such as fracking, and production caps routinely placed by OPEC on its member states. The price for Brent crude oil stood at an average of just 42 U.S. dollars in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a sudden demand drop. Two years later, sanctions on Russian energy imports, had pushed up prices to a new decade-high, above 100 U.S. dollars per barrel.

Explore the complexities influencing Louisiana Light Sweet crude pricing, including local supply-demand dynamics, refining capacities, and geopolitical factors, and how they reflect broader trends in the U.S. energy market.

Learn about Louisiana Light Crude (LLS), a high-quality, low-sulfur crude oil sourced from the Gulf of Mexico. Discover its market significance, premium pricing, and role as a benchmark for U.S. oil pricing due to its favorable properties and strategic location.

Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, ng µL−1) in the crude oil used in the experiments (Louisiana light sweet crude oil).

This study involved a 7 day land-based mesocosm experiment within 120 gallon tanks placed in a temperature controlled water bath. The mesocosm set up is located at UTMSI, Port Aransas, Texas. Natural seawater was pumped from the shipping channel into each tank during an incoming tide to obtain natural plankton communities. Each tank had a gentle aeration system installed to provide mixing and ensure oxygenation levels remain consistent. This experiment was carried out between June 9th and 16th, 2016 to investigate the impact of 5ppm and 10ppm chemically dispersed crude oil on natural Protozoan populations. Both treatments plus a control were tested in triplicate tanks. Louisiana light sweet crude oil was dispersed using Corexit 9500A, with a dispersant to oil ratio of 1:20, and added to the corresponding treatment tanks to make the final crude oil concentrations of 5ppm and 10ppm. Samples were collected every 24hrs to analyze protozoan community alterations. Both live and preserved samples were analyzed via microscopy methods and Flow imaging cytometry. This allowed for the examination of daily survival, mortality and potential recovery rates of protozoan species exposed to two concentrations of chemically dispersed oil within conditions which best reflect ambient environmental conditions.