Regularly refreshed Brent and WTI crude oil benchmark context from EIA spot data — last data point: Sep 22, 2026 12:00 AM UTC.
BZ · per barrel
$114.89
Last updated Sep 22, 2026 12:00 AM UTC
CL · per barrel
$96.41
Last updated Sep 22, 2026 12:00 AM UTC
The word "live" in oil price tracking has a range of meanings. This page shows the live crude oil price in dollars using regularly refreshed Brent and WTI market context from EIA spot benchmark data, not exchange-level tick-by-tick futures.
Prices here come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) API v2, series RBRTE (Brent) and RWTC (WTI). The EIA publishes spot prices the next business day after trading closes. That means figures are typically one trading day behind. This site then caches that data and refreshes it every 15 minutes.
So when you load this page, you are seeing the most recent EIA-published real time oil price assessment, with a cache lag of up to 15 minutes. The price itself reflects the prior trading session's close, always denominated in U.S. Dollars.
True real-time crude oil prices — tick-by-tick futures quotes — come from commodity exchanges (NYMEX for WTI, ICE for Brent). Accessing those requires a paid market data subscription through vendors like Bloomberg, Refinitiv, or direct exchange feeds. Most retail platforms showing "live" oil prices are actually showing 15-minute delayed futures, which still reflects the same-day session rather than the prior day's close.
The spot price is the price for immediate delivery of a physical barrel. The futures price is the market-agreed price for delivery at a future date. For daily trend-watching, they move together — futures lead slightly because they trade continuously. For planning and benchmarking, the EIA spot price is the standard reference used by analysts, government agencies, and most industry reporting.
Oil is a global commodity traded around the clock across multiple time zones. Its price moves in response to supply and demand signals, geopolitical headlines, inventory data, currency moves, and macro risk sentiment. Even a single EIA weekly inventory report — released every Wednesday morning — can shift Brent or WTI by $1–3 in minutes.
For a fuller picture of what drives day-to-day moves, see our explainer: Why Oil Prices Rise (and Fall).
These are EIA spot prices, which are published the next business day after trading. The site refreshes them every 15 minutes. They reflect the most recent EIA print — not tick-by-tick futures. For genuine real-time data, you need a paid market data terminal (Bloomberg, Refinitiv, or a brokerage with live commodities quotes).
The most recent EIA spot prices shown on this page are Brent at $114.89 and WTI at $96.41 per barrel. These are one business day behind live futures markets.
"Crude" refers to unrefined petroleum as it comes out of the ground — before refining into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, or petrochemicals. "Crude oil" distinguishes raw petroleum from refined products. The term has been in use since the mid-1800s when oil was first commercially extracted.
Truly free real-time crude futures quotes are rare. Most free sources (Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, financial news sites) show 15-minute delayed futures. Some commodity-focused platforms offer same-session data with a free account. The EIA spot price — which this site uses — is free and authoritative but is one trading day behind.
An oil benchmark is a standardized reference crude used to price international contracts. Brent and WTI are the two dominant global benchmarks. Other crudes — Dubai, Urals, Arab Light — are often priced at a differential to Brent. Benchmarks exist so buyers and sellers can agree on a fair price without renegotiating crude quality and logistics on every contract.
← Live prices + chart · Today's price · Price per barrel · Glossary