WTI crude oil price and historical chart
The latest available WTI crude oil reference is $92.41 USD per barrel for 25 September 2026 at 20:59 UTC. Delay: 1 day ago. It is an indicative futures reference from AmericasOilWatch public API; Yahoo Finance (CL=F).
West Texas Intermediate is a US crude benchmark. Explore daily Cushing spot observations and monthly historical averages, distinct from futures contracts and retail fuel prices.
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Historical currency views use the latest reference FX, not date-matched historical exchange rates.
The selected period in numbers.
daily observations · 2021-09-22 to 2026-09-22 · USD / barrel · EIA spot prices via FRED
Extremes are stored observations, not intraday highs/lows. Negative historical oil prices are retained. Percentage changes crossing zero are withheld.
Understand WTI.
EIA / FRED →Benchmark specification
- Region
- United States · Cushing
- Quality / composition
- Light sweet crude
- Price type
- Spot reference
Reading the series
Cushing storage and transport conditions help explain differences from seaborne oil prices. A NYMEX WTI futures settlement is a separate series with a named contract and delivery month. Negative observations in the historical spot archive are retained; they are not missing values.
Timing and drivers
Daily observations with a publication delay. Weekends, holidays and missing observations are not filled. A daily refresh check does not guarantee a new observation every day.
Watch: US supply, refinery demand, storage availability and pipeline capacity.
WTI is only one part of the US crude mix. The United States produces large volumes of light crude while some complex refineries are configured for heavier and higher-sulfur feedstock. Read why the United States imports oil while producing and exporting crude.
Questions about the WTI benchmark.
What does the WTI benchmark represent?
A US crude reference associated with delivery at Cushing, Oklahoma. The daily series on this site is the EIA spot reference distributed by FRED. Cushing storage and transport conditions help explain differences from seaborne oil prices. A NYMEX WTI futures settlement is a separate series with a named contract and delivery month. Negative observations in the historical spot archive are retained; they are not missing values.
What WTI price data is available here?
Daily + monthly history. Daily observations with a publication delay. Weekends, holidays and missing observations are not filled. A daily refresh check does not guarantee a new observation every day.
What can affect the WTI benchmark?
The page identifies United States · Cushing as its region and light sweet crude as its quality or composition. Factors to watch are us supply, refinery demand, storage availability and pipeline capacity.
How should WTI be compared with another oil price?
WTI is labelled as spot reference. Match the date, currency, barrel unit and price type before comparing it. The oil comparison workspace aligns available connected observations; it does not interpolate missing dates.
Yearly price archive.
USD per barrel, averaging available monthly observations. Partial years are labelled.
| Year | USD / barrel | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 82.22 | 8 months · partial |
| 2025 | 64.89 | 12 months |
| 2024 | 75.85 | 12 months |
| 2023 | 77.67 | 12 months |
| 2022 | 94.44 | 12 months |
| 2021 | 67.97 | 12 months |
| 2020 | 39.32 | 12 months |
| 2019 | 57.02 | 12 months |
| 2018 | 64.83 | 12 months |
| 2017 | 50.92 | 12 months |
Behind the chart.
Data methodology →This chart separates the source observation, its period and its published unit from later currency or weight conversions.
What this price represents
West Texas Intermediate is a US crude benchmark. Explore daily Cushing spot observations and monthly historical averages, distinct from futures contracts and retail fuel prices.
WTI and Brent keep two different series separate: indicative rolling-futures references checked every three hours and delayed daily EIA spot observations distributed by FRED. A three-hour check does not mean the upstream quote changes every three hours. Dubai has monthly history only. Monthly observations are nominal USD averages from the World Bank Pink Sheet where available; palladium uses means of stored daily references. Yearly values are means of the available monthly averages, with incomplete periods labelled. Period averages describe the stated interval, not a current executable quote. Currency and weight conversions change the display, not the underlying specification.
What a physical transaction may cost
Grade, delivery location, fabrication, taxes and dealer spreads can change a real offer. Use a matching specification and period when comparing prices.
Recent observations
| Period | USD / barrel |
|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2026 | 96.41 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 96.97 |
| 18 Sep 2026 | 101.44 |
| 17 Sep 2026 | 103.21 |
| 16 Sep 2026 | 103.62 |
| 15 Sep 2026 | 107.02 |
| 14 Sep 2026 | 102.42 |
| 11 Sep 2026 | 101.27 |
| 10 Sep 2026 | 103.57 |
| 09 Sep 2026 | 97.26 |
| 08 Sep 2026 | 94.21 |
| 04 Sep 2026 | 92.69 |
A little more perspective.
A refinery needs the right kind of barrel.
Why the United States imports oil when it produces so much