On April 20, the value of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil fell under $0 for the primary time in historical past. A sudden plunge took the value of WTI from roughly $17 per barrel to minus $38 per barrel—for a complete drop of $55 per barrel.

To place the occasion into perspective, the value of WTI crude oil is the first benchmark for U.S. oil costs, in addition to one of many three important world benchmarks for the commodity. Since 1983, the value of WTI crude oil has ranged from round $10 to $140 per barrel. Initially of this yr, the value of WTI briefly surpassed $60 per barrel earlier than starting to fall because the coronavirus outbreak unfold internationally.

Now that we’ve seen crude oil costs fall briefly into unfavorable territory, what does this imply for shoppers and buyers? As for shoppers, it’s unlikely that we’ll get pleasure from free gasoline once we refill on the gasoline station—sadly. However decrease crude oil costs might result in decrease costs for gasoline and, attributable to decrease transportation prices, a drop in prices for some manufactured items. Traders who may very well be affected by these components ought to hold a detailed eye on the state of affairs.

Provide and Demand

The worth of crude oil relies on provide and demand. The world’s largest oil producers embrace the U.S., Russia, and the 13 member international locations of OPEC. Collectively, these three sources produce about 60 p.c of the world’s provide of crude oil.

Crude oil is refined into vitality merchandise, together with gasoline, diesel gasoline, jet gasoline, and heating oil. From a requirement standpoint, crude oil is most closely used as a gasoline for our numerous modes of transportation, together with plane, boats, vehicles, vehicles, and trains. Given transportation’s excessive ranges of consumption, world crude oil demand is intently tied to financial exercise on this sector.

Futures Markets and Oil Costs

Crude oil costs are primarily based on futures markets. Crude oil has a number of pricing factors, with costs various throughout totally different geographic areas attributable to components together with provide, demand, storage capability, and transportation prices. As a result of WTI, a high-quality oil sourced primarily in Texas, is the most well-liked U.S. benchmark for crude oil, its value is usually quoted by the information media. Cushing, Oklahoma, is the supply and value settlement level for WTI crude oil contracts, and the encircling area has the biggest quantity of oil storage capability within the U.S. Probably the most generally used oil benchmark outdoors of the U.S. is Brent Crude, which is sourced from 4 totally different fields within the North Sea space.

Futures Contracts

A futures contract is a contractual settlement to purchase or promote a selected commodity at a predetermined value. Futures contracts are traded on an organized change and have totally different expiration dates. For instance, WTI futures contracts expire on a month-to-month foundation. At any cut-off date, consumers (i.e., holders of an extended futures contract) can shut their place by promoting an similar place. Once they achieve this, the lengthy place and quick place ought to web to zero. In different circumstances, a purchaser takes bodily possession of the commodity and shops it when the futures contract expires.

Why Costs Went Destructive

On April 20, the Might contract for WTI crude oil futures was set to run out the subsequent day, and its value fell to minus $38 per barrel. Why? Storage capability was anticipated to be full in Cushing, Oklahoma, attributable to lack of demand brought on by the worldwide financial slowdown. With no place to retailer oil, holders of the Might contract grew to become determined. They needed to promote their contracts to keep away from taking supply of bodily barrels of oil, basically paying merchants to take away this obligation. In distinction, June WTI contracts remained increased. The chart under illustrates the divergence in costs for the Might and June WTI contracts because the Might contract neared expiration.

Fundamentals in Play

As of this writing (on April 23, 2020), the value for WTI crude oil is $18 per barrel. The unfavorable pricing we noticed for the Might WTI contract highlighted the consequences of an oversupplied oil market following the worldwide shelter-in-place insurance policies. Stock ranges had been rising, and storage capability was changing into full in some areas.

OPEC and Russia not too long ago agreed to chop oil manufacturing by about 10 p.c, however the announcement didn’t raise oil costs. The oil market might have a fast financial restoration or additional manufacturing cuts by OPEC and Russia to scale back the oversupplied market and transfer oil costs increased within the close to time period.

Implications for Traders

Traders ought to be cautious of funding merchandise (resembling exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes) that present publicity to crude oil futures contracts. A lot of these merchandise are designed for short-term holding durations. Their funding efficiency can deviate considerably from the trajectory of oil costs, relying on components such because the holding interval and the form and steepness of the futures curve.

No funding merchandise immediately observe the value of oil, on condition that oil shouldn’t be storable for funding functions apart from futures buying and selling. Some funding autos, resembling vitality firms and funds that maintain vitality firms, can present buyers with publicity to grease costs. The inventory costs for vitality firms are delicate to grease costs as a result of the revenues and money flows are tied to enterprise actions associated to the manufacturing, transportation, storage, and refining of oil.

In sum, the trajectory of crude oil costs will proceed to vary in 2020 in accordance with provide and demand—one thing that buyers could be sensible to bear in mind.

Editor’s Observe: The authentic model of this text appeared on the Impartial
Market Observer.