As of August 2025, the average annual price of Brent crude oil stood at 71.3 U.S. dollars per barrel. This is over nine 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.

The 2025 preliminary average annual price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil reached 67.83 U.S. dollars per barrel as of August. This would be nine U.S. dollars below the 2024 average and the lowest annual average since 2021. WTI and other benchmarks WTI is a grade of crude oil also known as “Texas light sweet.” It is measured to have an API gravity of around 39.6 and specific gravity of about 0.83, which is considered “light” relative to other crude oils. This oil also contains roughly 0.24 percent sulfur, and is therefore named “sweet.” Crude oils are some of the most closely observed commodity prices in the world. WTI is the underlying commodity of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s oil futures contracts. The price of other crude oils, such as UK Brent crude oil, the OPEC crude oil basket, and Dubai Fateh oil, can be compared to that of WTI crude oil. Since 1976, the price of WTI crude oil has increased notably, rising from just 12.23 U.S. dollars per barrel in 1976 to a peak of 99.06 dollars per barrel in 2008. Geopolitical conflicts and their impact on oil prices The price of oil is controlled in part by limiting oil production. Prior to 1971, the Texas Railroad Commission controlled the price of oil by setting limits on production of U.S. oil. In 1971, the Texas Railroad Commission ceased limiting production, but OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries with member states Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela among others, continued to do so. In 1972, due to geopolitical conflict, OPEC set an oil embargo and cut oil production, causing prices to quadruple by 1974. Oil prices rose again in 1979 and 1980 due to the Iranian revolution, and doubled between 1978 and 1981 as the Iran-Iraq War prevented oil production. A number of geopolitical conflicts and periods of increased production and consumption have influenced the price of oil since then.

This dataset contains information about daily spot prices for crude oil WTI and Brent from 1986. data from US Energy Information AdministrationNotes:Citation: "Spot Prices For Crude Oil And Petroleum Products". Eia.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Graph and download economic data for Spot Crude Oil Price: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) (WTISPLC) from Jan 1946 to Oct 2025 about WTI, crude, oil, price, and USA.

The 2025 annual OPEC basket price stood at ***** U.S. dollars per barrel as of August. This would be lower than the 2024 average, which amounted to ***** U.S. dollars. The abbreviation OPEC stands for Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and includes Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates. The aim of the OPEC is to coordinate the oil policies of its member states. It was founded in 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. The OPEC Reference Basket The OPEC crude oil price is defined by the price of the so-called OPEC (Reference) basket. This basket is an average of prices of the various petroleum blends that are produced by the OPEC members. Some of these oil blends are, for example: Saharan Blend from Algeria, Basra Light from Iraq, Arab Light from Saudi Arabia, BCF 17 from Venezuela, et cetera. By increasing and decreasing its oil production, OPEC tries to keep the price between a given maxima and minima. Benchmark crude oil The OPEC basket is one of the most important benchmarks for crude oil prices 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. The 2025 fall in prices was the result of weakened demand outlooks exacerbated by extensive U.S. trade tariffs.

Learn about the fluctuations in crude oil prices during 2016 and the various factors that impacted global supply and demand. Discover how the oversupply in the global oil market and geopolitical events affected prices, and how OPEC's decision to cut production led to a gradual recovery throughout the year.

This dataset contains information about world's crude oil prices for 1861-2020. Data from BP. Follow datasource.kapsarc.org for timely data to advance energy economics research.Notes: 1861-1944 US Average 1945-1983 Arabian Light posted at Ras Tanura 1984-2016 Brent dated. $2020 (deflated using the Consumer Price Index for the US

Brent fell to 63.05 USD/Bbl on December 2, 2025, down 0.19% from the previous day. Over the past month, Brent's price has fallen 2.84%, and is down 14.36% compared to the same time last year, 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 December of 2025.

United States EIA Forecast: Crude Oil Price: Brent Spot Average data was reported at 71.000 USD/Barrel in Dec 2019. This stayed constant from the previous number of 71.000 USD/Barrel for Nov 2019. United States EIA Forecast: Crude Oil Price: Brent Spot Average data is updated monthly, averaging 62.750 USD/Barrel from Mar 2016 (Median) to Dec 2019, with 46 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.000 USD/Barrel in Oct 2018 and a record low of 34.000 USD/Barrel in Mar 2016. United States EIA Forecast: Crude Oil Price: Brent Spot Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Energy Information Administration. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.P003: Energy Price: Forecast: Energy Information Administration.

In August 2025, the price for one barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil averaged 64.86 U.S. dollars. This was a slight increase compared to the previous month, although prices remained lower than they had been the previous year. 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.

Indonesia Crude Oil Price: SLC data was reported at 61.980 USD/Barrel in Jul 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 61.840 USD/Barrel for Jun 2019. Indonesia Crude Oil Price: SLC data is updated monthly, averaging 73.410 USD/Barrel from Jan 2006 (Median) to Jul 2019, with 163 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 138.730 USD/Barrel in Jul 2008 and a record low of 26.630 USD/Barrel in Jan 2016. Indonesia Crude Oil Price: SLC data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Directorate General of Oil and Gas. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Indonesia – Table ID.RBH003: Crude Oil Price.

An overview of the crude oil price trends from 2016 to 2021, highlighting the factors influencing fluctuations and their impact on the global economy.

On October 27, 2025, the Brent crude oil price stood at 65.14 U.S. dollars per barrel, compared to 61.31 U.S. dollars for WTI oil and 67.54 U.S. dollars for the OPEC basket. Oil prices rose slightly that 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 global 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 (where a contract is agreed upon while 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.

Discover the trends in annual crude oil prices over the past few decades, influenced by factors like global supply and demand, geopolitical tensions, economic growth, and market speculation. From peak prices in the 1980s to the dramatic fall in prices in 2014-2016, explore how crude oil prices have evolved and understand the moderate volatility exhibited in recent years.

This dataset contains information about daily spot prices for heating oil from 1986. Data from US Energy Information Administration.Notes:Citation: "Spot Prices For Crude Oil And Petroleum Products". Eia.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 June. 2016.

Urals Oil fell to 54.22 USD/Bbl on December 1, 2025, down 0.37% from the previous day. Over the past month, Urals Oil's price has fallen 7.52%, and is down 17.95% compared to the same time last year, 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.

This dataset contains Oil price short term forecast, including STEO and historical from 2016-2022. Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration. Follow datasource.kapsarc.org for timely data to advance energy economics research.

Crude Oil Price: Average International FOB: Indian Basket: INR data was reported at 4,249.140 INR/Barrel in 05 Dec 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,324.140 INR/Barrel for 04 Dec 2018. Crude Oil Price: Average International FOB: Indian Basket: INR data is updated daily, averaging 4,308.560 INR/Barrel from Jan 2012 (Median) to 05 Dec 2018, with 1683 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,752.020 INR/Barrel in 28 Aug 2013 and a record low of 1,633.490 INR/Barrel in 20 Jan 2016. Crude Oil Price: Average International FOB: Indian Basket: INR data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Energy Sector – Table IN.RBJ001: Crude Oil Price: Average International FOB.

The annual price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is expected to reach an average of 63.58 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2025, according to an August 2025 forecast. This would be a decrease of roughly 13 U.S. dollar compared to the previous year. In the first eight months of 2025, weekly crude oil prices largely stayed below 70 U.S. dollars per barrel amid trade tariffs and an expected economic downturn. What are benchmark crudes? WTI is often used as a price reference point called a benchmark (or ”marker”) crude. This category includes Brent crude from the North Sea, Dubai Crude, as well as blends in the OPEC reference basket. WTI, Brent, and the OPEC basket have tended to trade closely, but since 2011, Brent has been selling at a higher annual spot price than WTI, largely due to increased oil production in the United States. What causes price volatility? Oil prices are historically volatile. While mostly shaped by demand and supply like all consumer goods, they may also be affected by production limits, a change in U.S. dollar value, and to an extent by market speculation. In 2022, the annual average price for WTI was close to the peak of nearly 100 U.S. dollars recorded in 2008. In the latter year, multiple factors, such as strikes in Nigeria, an oil sale stop in Venezuela, and the continuous increase in oil demand from China were partly responsible for the price surge. Higher oil prices allowed the pursuit of extraction methods previously deemed too expensive and risky, such as shale gas and tight oil production in the U.S. The widespread practice of fracturing source rocks for oil and gas extraction led to the oil glut in 2016 and made the U.S. the largest oil producer in the world.

This article explores the significant fluctuations in crude oil prices over the last 10 years, influenced by various factors such as global economic conditions, political events, supply and demand dynamics, and market speculation. It examines the peak in mid-2014, the decline in 2015-2016, the partial stabilization in 2017-2018, and the period of decline in 2018-2019. The article also discusses the unprecedented challenges faced by the oil market in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, leading to historic low