Brent updates hourly during trading hours; gold and China fuel prices update once daily.
Data source: Daily Updated Brent Crude Oil, Gold, Fuel & Currency Rates
Brent crude is the price benchmark for roughly two thirds of the world's internationally traded oil. The figure below is quoted in US dollars per barrel and refreshed on a daily schedule.
Brent is a light, sweet crude blend produced from oil fields in the North Sea between the United Kingdom and Norway. Because it is low in sulphur and relatively easy to refine, it became the reference grade against which most internationally traded crude is priced. When news reports say "the oil price", they are usually quoting Brent.
Unlike landlocked grades, Brent can be loaded onto tankers directly at sea, which makes it easy to trade and ship anywhere. That physical flexibility, combined with a deep futures market on the ICE exchange, turned it into the pricing anchor for crude sold from Europe, Africa and the Middle East to Asia.
Brent is quoted in US dollars per barrel, and one barrel equals 42 US gallons or about 159 litres. To convert to a per-litre figure, divide the barrel price by 159. The US dollar quotation means that a stronger dollar tends to make oil more expensive for buyers using other currencies, even when the underlying price has not moved.
Supply decisions by OPEC and other major producers, geopolitical events in producing regions, changes in global demand, refinery maintenance seasons and currency swings in the US dollar all influence the quote. Because oil is priced in dollars, currency moves alone can shift the figure.
Prices are collected on a daily schedule during trading hours and cached for fast delivery. Markets close at weekends, so the most recent trading day figure is shown until trading resumes.
No. The figure is a market reference price from public data providers, not an official exchange settlement. It is suitable for tracking general trends, not for settlement or trading.
Global oil markets close for the weekend. Any figure shown over Saturday and Sunday is the last price from the previous trading session.
Roughly two thirds of internationally traded crude is priced off Brent. Here is how a North Sea blend came to define what "the oil price" means.
Crude oilHow does a move in crude actually reach the pump? A look at refinery yields, what a barrel becomes, and why retail fuel prices lag the crude price.
Brent crude and gold prices are sourced from public market data providers (OilPriceAPI, MetalpriceAPI). China retail fuel prices come from ShowAPI. Rates are collected on a daily schedule and cached on a global edge network.
The prices and rates shown here are reference figures for general information only. They are not exchange settlement prices and must not be used for trading, settlement, accounting or any investment decision. Figures may be delayed and may differ from those quoted by your bank, broker or local retailer.