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.

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According to a 2024 survey, oil producers operating in the Permian region needed WTI oil prices to amount to a minimum of 62 U.S. dollars per barrel in order to profitably drill a new well. This compared to a minimum breakeven price of 38 U.S. dollars per barrel for existing wells. The monthly average WTI oil price ranged between 77 and 81 U.S. dollars per barrel around the time of the survey.

Most productive oil basins

Operators in shale basins have the lowest average breakeven prices for new wells. However, when it comes to existing wells, operators in the Permian (Delaware) basin can afford even lower oil prices. The Permian basin, located in Texas and New Mexico, accounts for the greatest U.S. oil production output of any region. In 2023, production in the Permian reached nearly six million barrels per day - more than five times the amount extracted from the neighboring Eagle Ford rock formation.

Texas is leading oil producing state

With both regions located in Texas, it is not surprising that this is also the leading crude oil producing U.S. state. Nearly two billion barrels worth of crude oil were extracted in Texas per year, far more than any other state. Texas is home to a total of five major oil and gas formations.

Crude Oil decreased 2.12 USD/BBL or 2.95% since the beginning of 2025, 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 March of 2025.

In March 2024, the average monthly price of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) stood at 664.5 U.S. dollars per metric ton. The price of VLSFO is strongly influenced by external factors, such as the price of crude oil and market forces of supply and demand. In the past two years, two separate events have had a profound effect on the price of VLSFO: the International Maritime Organization (IMO) sulfur cap on fuel oil in 2020 and, more recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Effects of the 2020 IMO sulfur cap

In January 2020, a new limit on the sulfur content in fuel oil was introduced by the IMO. The goal of the cap was to reduce the concentration of sulfur in the air, thus reducing air pollution and preventing harm to marine ecosystems as well as protecting human health. Ship operators were forced to switch to VLSFO to comply with the new regulation, leading to a higher demand for VLSFO which in turn caused the price of VLSFO to increase to 649 U.S. dollars per metric ton in January 2020.

Shortly afterward, the world was hit with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. With production facilities shutting down worldwide, maritime transport considerably slowed, driving the price of VLSFO to a historic minimum of 251 U.S. dollars per metric ton in April 2020.

Escalating conflict in Ukraine could raise fuel prices

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most of the West reacted by imposing sanctions on Russia to weaken its economy. Although vital for the Russian economy, the Russian oil industry remained untargeted by direct sanctions during the first days of the invasion. However, sanctions cutting off Russia’s access to international financial markets and the SWIFT payment system, as well as divestments of Western oil companies from the Russian oil industry, could severely impact the country’s oil sector.

In 2020, Russia was the third-largest producer of crude oil in the world, accounting for about 12 percent of the world’s crude oil production. Disruptions to the Russian oil industry could, therefore, have consequences for the supply of oil to the global market and drive prices up. Since crude oil is the main component of VLSFO, an increase in the price of crude oil will most likely lead to a rise in the price of VLSFO.

Major global events, like the pandemic and the Ukraine war, have greatly impacted machinery manufacturers by creating significant volatility in commodity prices. Major production and travel slowdowns harmed demand for oil and gas, resulting in fewer extraction projects and lowering the need for machinery. Still, Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to sanctions placed on Russia by various countries, which led to surging oil and gas prices. This uptick in prices led to strong US oil and gas production growth, boosting machinery sales in 2022 and 2023. Still, supply chain woes led to considerable increases in machinery production costs. Manufacturers passed these higher costs onto customers to retain profit but hindered revenue growth as customers increasingly sought cheaper imports. Overall, revenue has been falling at a CAGR of 3.4% over the past five years to total an estimated $14.0 billion through the end of 2024, including an estimated decrease of 1.8% in 2024. Manufacturers have also endured export declines. The increasing value of the US dollar has disincentivized foreign energy producers from purchasing US-made machinery despite its high quality. Interest rate hikes have also hindered manufacturers' performance. Since oil and gas producers typically purchase machinery on credit, higher interest rates reduce capital expenditures. Interest rate cuts and increases in oil and gas prices will benefit manufacturers in 2024. Falling oil and gas prices will negatively impact machinery manufacturers. These price drops will cause drilling projects to slow down, reducing the need for new machinery and maintenance services. While the dollar's falling value will reduce import penetration, exports will continue to drop alongside oil and gas prices. The Willow Project, one of the largest oil projects in the United States, is likely to boost domestic oil production, driving machinery sales. Domestic manufacturers will continue to focus on high-value-added products, protecting them from substitutes and enabling them to become more profitable. The Trump administration plans to ramp up oil drilling and gas extraction by rolling back previous regulations restricting carbon emissions, thereby creating greater energy independence for the nation and potentially boosting equipment sales. Overall, revenue is forecast to fall at a CAGR of 4.6% to total an estimated $11.0 billion through the end of 2029.

At 3.82 U.S. dollars per gallon in October 2022, regular all formulation retail gasoline prices in the United States were considerably lower than in Hong Kong or the Central African Republic, which reported the highest gasoline prices in the world at the end of October 2022. Norway also ranked high this year. Its high gasoline prices might be one of the reasons why the country is leading the charge towards electric mobility. Gas prices in selected countries worldwide Fuel prices in different countries range from a few cents to almost two U.S. dollars per liter. Gasoline is often regarded as a key driver of a country’s economy, as it is the main fuel used in passenger vehicles and the automotive fleets of small and large businesses. The United States is one of the biggest consumers of gasoline on a per capita basis, with approximately 356 gallons of gasoline per person in 2020. Fuel prices respond to crude oil price changes One of the liquid’s main ingredients is crude oil. The spot prices of publicly traded crudes, such as U.S.-sourced WTI (West Texas Intermediate), UK Brent, and the OPEC basket grades, are highly volatile and have proven prone to inflation as of late, most recently due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, blockages in the Suez Canal, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Where access to oil is limited, this volatility may spur a shift towards alternative propulsion systems and fuels among a growing number of vehicle drivers. Affordability of fuel Gas prices in Europe are counted among the highest worldwide. At 7.6 U.S. dollars per gallon or more, gasoline is particularly expensive in Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Finland, and the Netherlands. Car drivers in Mozambique and Madagascar feel the most pain at the pump. Some 145.7 percent of a month's wages are needed to fill up a tank in Mozambique. The low affordability of fuel is due to weak currencies, limited wage growth, and a level of prosperity that is yet to meet other markets' standards. The high price in countries such as the Netherlands and Norway is largely attributable to taxes. Other factors driving gas prices include local demand, processing and distribution costs, and the aforementioned level of crude oil prices.

The global Silicon Oil market was valued at USD 4.3 billion in 2022 and will reach USD 7.22 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.7% for the forecast period 2023-2030.

Growing demand for cosmetics products:

According to the Environmental Working Group study, moderate man uses five to six personal care products, women use ten to twelve, and the average teenage girl uses sixteen personal care products in America. The demand for silicon oil in the cosmetic industry is increasing. Silicon in cosmetic products offers natural lubrication, adding more slip and glide to cosmetics, reducing stickiness on the skin and a sticky feeling in hair, improving hair's softness, and reducing fizziness even in high humidity. Silicone oil and polydimethylsiloxane are used in the production of cosmetics to improve the performance of cosmetics. Hence growing demand for cosmetic products results in increasing demand for the silicon oil market.

High demand across the automobile industry: 

According to the CEIC data, India Motor Vehicles Sales grew by 2.8% in March 2022. The rising income of the middle class and the increased population of youth is rapidly increasing the use of vehicles. Silicon oil is used in vehicles for seat belt lubrication, damper oil for meters, damper material for the interior parts, hard coating agents for plastics, processing, and modification of synthetic leather seats, and in auto paint additives. Hence silicon oil has wide applications in the automobile industry. Increasing demand for silicon oil in the automobile industry will drive the Silicon Oil market.

Growing demand from the textile industry to propel market growth

Restraining Factor:

Volatile prices of raw materials:

The cost and availability of the raw material of silicon oil are highly unstable. The major cause for restraining the growth of the Silicon Oil market is volatile prices. The sudden increase in the prices of raw silicon fluctuates the prices of silicon oil. Fluctuating prices of the raw material harm the market. Hence volatile prices of raw materials hinder the growth of the Silicon Oil market.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Silicon Oil Market:

The outbreak of COVID-19 has witnessed a negative impact on the Silicon Oil market growth. During the pandemic, the government implemented lockdowns in various parts of the country which limited the movement of over 138 crore population of India. The lockdown disrupted the manufacturing of various end-use industries which negatively impacted the Silicon Oil market. As the outbreak of the virus was from China, the Asia-Pacific region has to face major problems regarding manufacturing which altogether hindered the growth of the market in the Asia-Pacific region. Post-pandemic all the activities resumed and witnessed a positive impact. The problems related to manufacturing, labor shortage, and supply chain of industries like automotive, construction, cosmetics, and electronics were online. Hence development in end-use industries boosted the Silicon Oil market after the pandemic. A silicone oil is any liquid polymerized siloxane with organic side chains with relatively high thermal stability and lubricating properties. Silicone oil is a colorless, tasteless, non-toxic, transparent, non-volatile liquid, non-corrosive to metals, low freezing point, and with good water resistance. Silicon oil is used as a damping fluid, thermal bath fluid, lubricant, dielectric fluid, cosmetic products, paint additives, and pharmaceuticals. Silicone oils offer great thermal stability and flexible and flowable forms at extreme temperatures. Silicon oil is used as an antifoaming agent in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. It is widely used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as head oil, hair cream, hair-forming agent, solid hair-forming agent, and sunscreen agent. In the electrical and electronic industry, silicon oil is used for high-temperature dielectric liquid. Hence growing demand from all such end-use industries like Automotive, Chemical, Construction, Electronics, Medical, Personal Care, Textile, and Others boost the Silicon Oil market. The fluctuating cost of raw materials hinders the growth of the Silicon Oil market.

Coffee increased 55.82 USd/Lbs or 17.42% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Coffee - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

In December 2024, the inflation rate in Russia stood at around 9.5 percent compared to the same month in the previous year, showing an increase. The rate has been rising since October 2024. The highest rate during the observed period was recorded in April 2022, at 17.8 percent. The term inflation means the devaluation of money caused by a permanent increase in the price level for products (consumer goods, investment goods). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows the price development for private expenses and shows the current level of inflation when increasing. Russia's economy, an outlook The Russian economy was expected to grow by 1.6 percent in 2025 despite the Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine that began in February 2022. At the same time, consumer prices were projected to grow by around five percent in 2025 relative to the previous year. In 2024, the inflation rate was estimated at 7.9 percent. Prices in Russia Russia’s economy is highly dependent on and affected by the price of oil. The price of the Urals crude oil stood at approximately 62 U.S. dollars per barrel in December 2024, having demonstrated an increase from the previous month. The highest producer price index (PPI) was recorded in the electricity and gas supply sector, with a price growth rate of over 12 percent in September 2024.