What the benchmark represents
Oman is a deliverable Middle Eastern crude marker used in trade with Asian buyers. A dated physical assessment, a futures settlement and an annual national average answer different questions, so this page labels the annual series separately.
How quality affects value
Petroleum gravity describes density: a higher number indicates a lighter crude. Sulfur adds processing requirements. Oman sits just inside the light band in the cited S&P classification and above its sour threshold.
What can move the price
Asian refinery demand, regional supply, freight, product margins and the chosen delivery period can all affect Oman pricing. Compare the same dates and price type before drawing conclusions from Brent, Dubai or Murban.