Crude Oil rose to 58.73 USD/Bbl on October 16, 2025, up 0.79% from the previous day. Over the past month, Crude Oil's price has fallen 7.80%, and is down 16.21% compared to the same time last year, 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 October of 2025.

On October 6, 2025, the Brent crude oil price stood at 65.55 U.S. dollars per barrel, compared to 61.69 U.S. dollars for WTI oil and 66.26 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.

Brent rose to 62.37 USD/Bbl on October 16, 2025, up 0.74% from the previous day. Over the past month, Brent's price has fallen 8.21%, and is down 16.23% 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 October of 2025.

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.

Oil prices drop amid uncertainties in US-Iran nuclear talks, impacting Brent crude and WTI. Market anticipates surplus despite volatility and demand growth.

Oil prices fell for a third consecutive day ahead of a key OPEC+ meeting that may discuss raising production, amid a surprise build in US crude inventories.

Heating Oil fell to 2.20 USD/Gal on October 14, 2025, down 2.14% from the previous day. Over the past month, Heating Oil's price has fallen 5.56%, but it is still 0.28% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Heating oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on October of 2025.

Why did the Crude Oil Price Change in July 2025? Crude oil prices declined by 10.2 on % quarter-on-quarter basis. Prices have declined in April and May; however, in June, crude oil prices rebounded to settle at WTI at USD 68.04/barrel by the last week of June—the highest since January.

April sees a record decline in oil prices due to trade wars, OPEC+ supply adjustments, and rising US crude stockpiles, impacting global economic stability.

Nigeria's economy was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among others, oil prices experienced a sharp fall and the country lowered the daily crude oil production consistently. In January 2019, the price per barrel amounted to ** U.S. dollars per barrel, whereas in April 2020 the price dropped by ** dollars. Crude oil, petrol, and fuel represented Nigeria's main source of export value.

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.

About the Project

KAPSARC is analyzing the shifting dynamics of the global gas markets. Global gas markets have turned upside down during the past five years: North America has emerged as a large potential future LNG exporter while gas demand growth has been slowing down as natural gas gets squeezed between coal and renewables. While the coming years will witness the fastest LNG export capacity expansion ever seen, many questions are raised on the next generation of LNG supply, the impact of low oil and gas prices on supply and demand patterns and how pricing and contractual structure may be affected by both the arrival of U.S. LNG on global gas markets and the desire of Asian buyers for cheaper gas.

Key Points

In the past year, global gas prices have dropped significantly, albeit at unequal paces depending on the region. All else being equal, economists would suggest that this should have generated a positive demand response. However, “all else” was not equal. Prices of other commodities also declined while economic growth forecasts were downgraded.

Prices at benchmark points such as the U.K. National Balancing Point (NBP), U.S. Henry Hub (HH) and Japan/Korea Marker (JKM) slumped due to lower oil prices, liquefied natural gas (LNG) oversupply and unseasonal weather. Yet, the prices of natural gas in local currencies have increased in a number of developing countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, former Soviet Union (FSU) and Asia.

North America experienced demand growth while gas in Europe and Asia faced rising competition from cheaper coal, renewables and, in some instances, nuclear. Gains to European demand were mostly weather related while increases in Africa and Latin America were not significant.

For LNG, Europe became the market of last resort as Asian consumption declined. Moreover, an anticipated surge in LNG supply, brought on by several new projects, may lead to a confrontation with Russian or other pipeline gas suppliers to Europe. At the same time, Asian buyers are seeking concessions on pricing and flexibility in their long-term contracts.

Looking ahead, natural gas has to prove itself a credible and affordable alternative to coal, notably in Asia, if the world is to reach its climate change targets. The future of the gas industry will also depend on oil prices, evolution of Chinese energy demand and impact of COP21 on national energy policies. Current low prices mean there is likely to be a pause in final investment decisions (FIDs) on LNG projects in the coming years.

On April 20th, 2020, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil slumped into negative for the first time in history, falling to negative 37.63 U.S. dollars per barrel. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on the global oil and gas industry. Declining consumer demand and high levels of production output are threatening to exceed oil storage capacities, which resulted in the lowest ever oil prices noted between April 20th and April 22nd.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Fact and Figures page.

In August 2025, the average price of one barrel of Brent crude oil was 67.87 U.S. dollars. This was a decrease from the previous month and 12 U.S. dollars below July 2024 prices. 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 20 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.

Urals Oil fell to 56.48 USD/Bbl on October 15, 2025, down 0.18% from the previous day. Over the past month, Urals Oil's price has fallen 9.28%, and is down 15.46% 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.

Oil prices have dropped to a four-year low, influenced by trade tensions and tariffs, raising concerns about economic growth and energy demand.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe (DCOILBRENTEU) from 1987-05-20 to 2025-09-22 about crude, oil, Europe, commodities, and price.

Palm Oil fell to 4,481 MYR/T on October 14, 2025, down 0.33% from the previous day. Over the past month, Palm Oil's price has risen 0.81%, and is up 4.99% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Palm Oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on October of 2025.

Abstract of associated article: Previous studies of the relationship between crude oil and gasoline prices have often found “rockets and feathers” behavior: a scenario where gasoline prices increase more rapidly when crude oil prices rise than they fall when crude oil prices drop. While we find this behavior in times of generally rising crude oil prices, we find the opposite to be true during times of generally falling crude oil prices, a phenomenon we call “balloons and rocks” behavior. This result was obtained by testing for parameter stability in error-correction models which were estimated for periods of significant variability in both crude oil and gasoline prices. The data used to estimate these results is unique in the literature as it is comprised of daily U.S. retail gasoline prices and daily crude oil prices. The sample was taken during the Great Recession, an exceptional period of time that saw both sharp increases and decreases in gasoline and crude oil prices.

The author argues that the economic benefits of low gasoline prices for the U.S. economy have fallen substantially since the reemergence of America as a major oil producer. The old rule-of thumb that a 10% fall in the oil price raises inflation-adjusted U.S. GDP by 0.2% is too large—the impact on economic activity should be closer to zero, and may even be negative if consumption grows slowly. The reasons for this change are straightforward, if underappreciated: (i) the value of oil production accounts for a larger share of the U.S. economy; and (ii) consumers are not spending the windfall like they used to because of higher debt levels, limited access to credit, slow wage rowth, and an older population.