Crude Oil Drives Energy Market Gains on Friday

May 15, 2026

90 min

May 15, 2026 05:30

Energy markets mostly higher in Friday trading, led by crude gains

## Crude Oil Prices Surge

On Friday, global energy markets saw a rise, primarily driven by gains in crude oil prices. As of early afternoon in Tokyo, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude increased by $1.24, reaching $102.41, marking a 1.23% rise. Brent crude also climbed by $1.24 to $106.96, a 1.17% increase. Murban crude saw a smaller gain of $0.55, bringing it to $104.70.

## Refined Products and Natural Gas

Refined products followed the upward trend, with gasoline futures rising by 0.94% to $3.640 and heating oil increasing by 0.92% to $3.941. Natural gas prices edged up by 0.93% to $2.921.

## Regional Crude Variations

Despite the overall upward movement, regional crude benchmarks showed mixed results. WTI Midland decreased slightly by $0.21 to $103.03, while Mars crude dropped by $0.93 to $121.23. Urals crude fell significantly by $4.56 to $97.51, and Western Canadian Select declined by $1.16 to $88.67.

## International Benchmarks

Several international benchmarks experienced stronger gains. The OPEC basket rose by $7.43 to $115.09, and Dubai crude increased by $6.18 to $103.76. The Indian basket crude gained $6.53, reaching $109.05. Brent-weighted average prices also advanced by $3.07 to $107.28.

## US Domestic Grades

In the US, domestic crude grades saw increases at various hubs. Louisiana Light rose by $3.56 to $103.06, and benchmark grades at Cushing and Giddings both increased by $7.10. ANS West Coast crude climbed by $2.94 to $114.27, while Gulf Coast high-sulfur fuel oil gained $3.28 to $92.33.

## Other Energy Markets

In other energy sectors, Dutch TTF natural gas rose by $0.82 to $16.09, and the LNG Japan/Korea Marker edged up by $0.11 to $16.99. However, ethanol futures fell by 0.033 to $1.953. The mixed performance across regions highlighted the uneven pricing trends, despite the overall firm tone in energy markets as trading closed.

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