Crude Oil Futures – WTI

WTI crude oil price, the leading U.S. oil benchmark, traded on NYMEX.

WTI (West Texas Intermediate) is the leading U.S. benchmark for crude oil prices, priced for delivery at Cushing, Oklahoma, and widely used as a reference for oil futures traded on NYMEX.

Current value
USD / barrel
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Last updated
Ticker
CL=F
Exchange
NYMEX
Benchmark
WTI Cushing
Currency
USD
Unit
USD / barrel

Price history

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Historical performance

Period Performance
Today
1 month
1 year
5 years

Calculated live from Yahoo Finance closing prices (unofficial public proxy) — may be temporarily unavailable or delayed.

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Key facts

Quotation unit1 barrel = 158.987 liters (42 US gallons)
Competing benchmarkBrent (North Sea, traded in London on the ICE)
Typical Brent-WTI spread≈ $2 to $5 per barrel (Brent is usually more expensive)
Sulfur content0.24% ("light and sweet" crude, easy to refine)
Physical delivery pointCushing, Oklahoma (main US storage hub)
Supply regulatorOPEC+ (Saudi Arabia, Russia and allies — ≈ 40% of global production)
Standard barrel: 158.987 liters (42 US gallons) OPEC founded in 1960 (Baghdad conference) The Strait of Hormuz accounts for about 20% of global oil consumption

What is "the oil price"?

The "oil price" actually refers to a futures contract on one of the two main global benchmarks: Brent (extracted in the North Sea, the reference for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, traded in London) or WTI, West Texas Intermediate (extracted in Texas, the North American benchmark, traded in New York on the NYMEX). Both barrels hold about 159 liters, but differ in extraction location, quality and price — Brent typically costing $2 to $5 more than WTI.

How do I invest in oil?

Individual investors most often gain exposure through an ETF or ETC tracking the price of Brent or WTI, through CFDs or futures for experienced traders (leveraged, higher-risk products), or indirectly by buying shares of oil companies (TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Shell...) whose share price partly tracks the price of crude.

What drives the price of a barrel of oil?

OPEC+ production decisions (which controls about 40% of global supply), geopolitical tensions in the Middle East — particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes —, weekly US inventory data, and the strength of the dollar (a strong dollar mechanically makes crude more expensive for buyers using other currencies) are the main factors markets watch.

Price and chart data fetched live from Yahoo Finance via an unofficial public proxy: it may be delayed, temporarily unavailable or inaccurate. Nothing on this page constitutes investment advice.