U.S. benchmark (West Texas Intermediate, or “WTI”) and international Brent crude oil prices have plunged by more than a third from an October 3, 2018 high of $76.41per barrel (/bbl) and $86.29/bbl, respectively—the largest percentage decline since early 2016. Currently, WTI prices stand in the low $50s/bbl range, with Brent prices hovering at the low $60/bbl range. How Healthy Are… Read More

In the last month, crude oil prices have retreated from four-high highs amid concerns of rising oil production worldwide and weakening demand from developing countries despite the U.S. re-imposing sanctions on Iran. The oil market sell-off has shaved more than a fifth off the global Brent crude benchmark and slashed the price of U.S. crude (West Texas Intermediate, or “WTI”)… Read More

Since the lifting of a decades-old ban on crude exports at the end of 2015, Houston has emerged as a major physical crude oil trading hub, overtaking the country’s primary crude benchmark (West Texas Intermediate, or “WTI”) pricing power long held in Cushing, Oklahoma due to access to major pipelines that run through it and ample storage space. The surge… Read More