WTI-Brent Spread Hits $6.20: Inside the Crude Oil Benchmark Divergence
The gap between the world's two major crude oil benchmarks just hit $6.20 per barrel, and the reason has nothing to do with U.S. oil supply. On August 18, 2026, Brent crude traded at $91.43/bbl (up 0.62%) while WTI futures settled near $85.37/bbl (up 1.03%). But the real story is the third benchmark almost nobody talks about: Murban crude from Abu Dhabi surged 9.26% in a single session to $97.70/bbl, putting it more than $12 above WTI. That move tells you exactly what is driving this market.
Key Takeaways The Brent-WTI spread widened to $6.20 on August 18, 2026, with Brent at $91.43/bbl and WTI at $85.37/bbl. Murban crude (Abu Dhabi benchmark) surged 9.26% in a single session to $97.70/bbl, s…
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