Oil Prices: Brent vs WTI Crude Oil Explained
Published: 2026-04-30 · 6 min read
Oil prices affect everything from gas at the pump to airline tickets. Understand the two main benchmarks and what moves crude oil markets.
Brent vs WTI: Two Oil Benchmarks
The world prices oil using two main benchmarks that serve different markets.
Key Differences
| Feature | Brent Crude | WTI Crude |
|---------|------------|-----------|
| Origin | North Sea Europe | Texas US |
| API gravity | 38° medium | 39.6° light |
| Sulfur content | 0.37% sweet | 0.24% sweeter |
| Pricing | ~70% of world oil | US domestic benchmark |
| Delivery | Seaborne | Cushing, Oklahoma |
| Typical premium | $2-5 above WTI | Base reference |
What ...
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