Brent crude – also referred to as Brent blend – is one of three major oil benchmarks used by those trading oil contracts, futures and derivatives. The other two major benchmarks are West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Dubai/Oman, though there are many smaller oil varieties traded as well..

WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate (occasionally called Texas Light Sweet), an oil benchmark that is central to commodities trading. It is one of the three major oil benchmarks used in trading。

WTI is a light, sweet variety of oil. That means that it has a low density and low sulphur content, making it easy to refine. It is the second-most-traded oil benchmark, behind Brent crude, and is traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The price of WTI tends to move in line with the price of Brent crude, although different global events will cause the value of each commodity to differ.

Oil benchmarks

Oil benchmarks provide a useful way for oil traders and speculators to know which type of oil they are trading. Oil from different fields varies in value thanks to its use in different industries, and varying ease of transport.

Brent crude is the most traded of all of the oil benchmarks, and is defined as crude mostly drilled from the North Sea oilfields: Brent, Forties, Oseberg and Ekofisk (collectively known as BFOE). This oil type is widely used as it is both sweet and light, making it easy to refine into diesel fuel and gasoline. That, and its relative ease of transporting being produced at sea, make it so widely traded.