Crude oil trading

The margin requirement for FOREX.com oil markets – including US Crude and UK Crude – is 20%. That means you’ll need 20% of your position’s total value in your account in order to open a trade.

Say, for example, that you want to buy three UK Crude CFDs at $8653. Your total position is worth (8653 * 3) $25,959, meaning you’ll need $5191.80 in your account as margin. FOREX.com will automatically convert that figure into your base currency and display it on the deal ticket, so you’ll always know how much you need to make a trade.

You can find margin requirements for every market we offer in the FOREX.com platform, which you can access with a free demo account.

An oil benchmark is a crude oil market that acts as a reference point for the prices of oil drilled around the world. The two best-known oil benchmarks are US Crude (otherwise known as WTI) or UK Crude (known as Brent Crude).

Beyond these two headline markets, there are dozens of oil benchmarks that are used around the world. They help facilitate oil trading by acting as a guideline for the different varieties and grades of oil that are produced.

Different oil benchmarks will trade at different prices, according to the lightness and sweetness of the oil they represent. They will, however, tend to move in parallel – so if Brent Crude is moving up, chances are WTI will be up too.

Learn more about how to trade oil.

There are various ways to gain exposure to oil price movements, and each method has its own characteristics, risks, and potential benefits.
Oil is commonly traded through futures contracts, which are agreements to buy or sell oil at a predetermined price on a specified future date.

Retail traders may also gain exposure to oil price movements through Contracts for Difference (CFDs). CFDs allow traders to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset. However, CFDs are leveraged products and carry a high level of risk. Losses can exceed initial deposits, and CFDs may not be suitable for all investors.

Learn more about how CFDs work. 

US Crude Oil 7Day is a leveraged CFD product. Leveraged trading carries a high level of risk and losses can exceed initial deposits.

US Crude Oil 7-Day is a standalone WTI Crude Oil Cash CFD product that is available during standard weekday trading hours and remains open most of Saturday and Sunday, allowing you to react to geopolitical, economic, and market-moving events outside traditional oil market hours. Trading pauses for a short period on Sunday before weekday market pricing resumes.  

When can I trade US Crude Oil 7-Day?
US Crude Oil 7-Day is tradeable 7 days and week with the following trading breaks: 

• Sunday to Thursday:  from 5 PM ET to 6 PM ET 
• Friday:  from 5 PM ET, reopening on Saturday at 4 AM ET 

Please review the Market Information Sheet on the platform for exact trading hours.  

How does pricing work?
During standard market hours, pricing follows our standard US Crude Oil pricing methodology, which references the underlying WTI market. When the traditional WTI futures market is closed during the weekend, pricing is derived from alternative crude oil reference markets and other relevant market information available to FOREX.com. Pricing adjustments may be applied to reflect differences between weekend reference markets and the traditional WTI market. When the traditional WTI futures market reopens, pricing returns to the standard US Crude Oil pricing methodology. Weekend spreads may be wider than during standard market hours. In exceptional circumstances, trading may be restricted, paused, or made close-only. 

How do positions work for US Crude Oil 7-Day?
US Crude Oil 7-Day is a separate market from the standard US Crude Oil CFD. Positions, margin requirements, and profit and loss are managed independently, and positions in one market will not offset, transfer to, or roll into the other. 

Why might weekend prices differ from standard US Crude Oil prices?
The traditional WTI futures market is closed during portions of the weekend. As a result, weekend prices are derived from alternative crude oil reference markets, which may not move in the same way as the traditional WTI market. The US Crude Oil 7-Day price may therefore differ from the final weekday price or from the price available when the traditional WTI futures market reopens. Trading during the weekend may allow clients to respond to market development before the traditional WTI futures market reopens, but it does not eliminate the risk that prices may gap when the traditional markets reopen.  

What events can affect US Crude Oil 7-Day prices during the weekend?
Crude oil prices can respond rapidly to developments affecting global oil supply and demand. These may include geopolitical events, OPEC+ decisions, production or supply disruptions, inventory developments, and other significant energy-market events. These events may occur while the traditional WTI futures market is closed and can result in significant price movements. 

Will financing charges apply?
Yes. Financing is applied to US Crude Oil 7-Day positions on a daily basis, including weekends. Positions held through the applicable financing cut-off may therefore be subject to a financing adjustment. Please refer to the Market Information Sheet for current financing information. 

Can stop-loss orders be triggered during the weekend?
Yes. If a stop level is reached based on the price quoted for US Crude Oil 7-Day, the order will be triggered as usual. Execution will occur based on available prices in the US Crude Oil 7-Day market at that time. Orders associated with the separate standard US Crude Oil market will not be triggered by movements in the US Crude Oil 7-Day market. 

Can trading be restricted or suspended?
Yes. In exceptional circumstances, including significant market disruption, problems with available reference prices, or other conditions where reliable pricing cannot be maintained, FOREX.com may restrict trading, make the market close-only, or one-sided, temporarily suspending trading or withdrawing pricing. In extreme circumstances, you may be unable to close a position until reliable price formation resumes.