Argus US Crack Spread Forward Curves
Overview
Argus US Crack Spread Forward Curves service is an independent market valuation tool to support investment and trading decisions in North American oil markets. The service provides daily differential forward prices between key refined oil products and various crude grades.
Our clients act with confidence because our forward curves are built from unbiased and transparent industry-specific methodologies that produce representative market values free from distortion.
Key features
Daily assessments
Daily assessments for 45 crack spread markets, providing a rolling 24 month view of monthly forward prices.
Key differentials
Price differences between crude oil and refined product markets across North America.
Time-stamped
Time-stamped at 6 p.m. CPT time, in alignment with Argus’ physical settlement price assessments.
Robust methodology
Independent and transparent market-appropriate methodology.
Delivery options
Receive our forward curve data via data feed, third-party channel partners, our client portal or via email.
Customers that benefit
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Exploration and production companies
Use our curves services to determine commitments for the coming fiscal year.
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Refineries
Use curves to inform hedging decisions when securing refined oil supplies and to analyse margins at their facilities.
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Risk managers
Use our forward curves data for unbiased, third-party curve validation against counterparties, internal valuations, and for mark-to-market purposes for daily profit and loss assessments.
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Traders
Rely on our extensive historical analysis to determine locational and temporal spread relationships and use prior day curves on a daily basis as a reference when entering the market the following morning.
Product specifications
- Gulf Coast Gasoline-M2 (9.0 RVP)
- Gulf Coast ULSD
- Gulf Coast Jet Fuel
- Chicago CBOB
- Chicago RBOB
- Chicago ULSD
- Chicago Jet Fuel
- Group 3 CBOB
- Group 3 ULSD
- LA reg CARBOB
- LA ULSD
- LA Jet Fuel
- NY Harbor RBOB
- NY Harbor ULSD
- NY Harbor Jet Fuel
- WTI Houston
- WTL Midland
- LLS
- WCS
- ANS
- Brent
- Multi crack forwards
- Single crack forwards
- Excel format
- Excel add-in
- FTP – CSV file
- API – CSV file
- Argus Direct client portal
- Argus Date Science Studio
- Third party channel partners
Argus forward curves are a proven, reliable tool for analytical and risk-management processes, including:
- Mark-to-market (MTM) accounting
- Value-at-risk (VaR)
- Potential future exposure (PFE)
- Deal valuation
- Regression analysis
- Scenario analysis
- Valuing option premiums associated with forward crude contracts
Key price assessments
Argus prices are recognised by the market as trusted and reliable indicators of the real market value. Explore some of our most widely used and relevant price assessments.
Baltic wood pellet
The fob Baltic wood pellet price assessment is the price reference for wood pellets sold out of Baltic ports in the 90-day spot window. It is also known as Argus fob Riga.
Argus palm kernel shells (PKS)
Argus assesses a fob east coast Sumatra palm kernel shell (PKS) spot price, for delivery within the next 90 days.
Argus fob Vietnam wood pellet
The Argus fob Vietnam wood pellet spot index is a leading price reference for industrial wood pellets loading at specified key ports in Vietnam, with a 90-day window.
Argus German diesel 10 ppm fob АРА
Котировка Argus German diesel с содержанием серы 10 ppm fob АРА
Argus European inland LNG
Argus publishes prices for LNG for use in transport and other small-scale applications at four key German locations. Our prices bring transparency for both buyers and sellers operating in this market.
Argus Northeast Asia des (ANEA™)
The Argus Northeast Asia des (ANEA™) LNG price is a daily physical spot price assessment for LNG cargoes delivered ex-ship (des) to ports in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The assessment is of prices for deliveries across four half-month windows that start 2-5 half months forward from the date of assessment.
Argus Austria VTP
Argus assesses the price of contracts trading on Austria’s Virtual Trading Point (VTP). Our gas price assessments are trusted and used by a wide range of customers throughout Europe as benchmarks in supply contracts, risk management processes, and downstream and infrastructure pricing.
Argus Point d’Echange de Gaz (Peg)
Argus assesses the price of contracts trading on France’s Point d’Echange de Gaz (Peg) virtual point.
Argus TTF
Argus produces benchmark assessments of the value of contracts trading on the Netherlands’ Title Transfer Facility, Europe’s most liquid virtual trading point.
Argus China gasoline index
The Argus China Gasoline index (Bohai) is a spot price assessed on a free on board basis for cargoes of 10ppm sulphur China 6 standard fuel loading at ports around northeast China’s Bohai Bay, home to the greatest concentration of Chinese independent refining capacity.
Argus/McCloskey's API 5
The API 5 price assessment is the key price reference used for coal supply agreements in the Australian and Chinese markets.
Argus/McCloskey's API 8
The API 8 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for the import market in China, the world’s largest coal consumer.
Argus Middle East fob ammonia
Argus publishes this price on a weekly basis, inclusive of shipments loading from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Oman, and also considers netbacks from price movements in key cfr export markets.
Argus/McCloskey's API 4
The API 4 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for 6,000 kcal/kg coal exported from South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal and is used in physical and over-the-counter contracts.
Argus Middle East sulphur fob
The Argus Middle East sulphur fob price assessment is a significant market reference point and Argus publishes the price on a weekly basis.
Argus Mars
The Argus Mars is a key crude benchmark and reflects oil spot prices for the US Gulf medium sour crude blend arriving on the Mars pipeline.
Baltic wood pellet
The fob Baltic wood pellet price assessment is the price reference for wood pellets sold out of Baltic ports in the 90-day spot window. It is also known as Argus fob Riga.
Argus palm kernel shells (PKS)
Argus assesses a fob east coast Sumatra palm kernel shell (PKS) spot price, for delivery within the next 90 days.
Argus fob Vietnam wood pellet
The Argus fob Vietnam wood pellet spot index is a leading price reference for industrial wood pellets loading at specified key ports in Vietnam, with a 90-day window.
Argus German diesel 10 ppm fob АРА
Котировка Argus German diesel с содержанием серы 10 ppm fob АРА
Argus European inland LNG
Argus publishes prices for LNG for use in transport and other small-scale applications at four key German locations. Our prices bring transparency for both buyers and sellers operating in this market.
Argus Northeast Asia des (ANEA™)
The Argus Northeast Asia des (ANEA™) LNG price is a daily physical spot price assessment for LNG cargoes delivered ex-ship (des) to ports in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The assessment is of prices for deliveries across four half-month windows that start 2-5 half months forward from the date of assessment.
Argus Austria VTP
Argus assesses the price of contracts trading on Austria’s Virtual Trading Point (VTP). Our gas price assessments are trusted and used by a wide range of customers throughout Europe as benchmarks in supply contracts, risk management processes, and downstream and infrastructure pricing.
Argus Point d’Echange de Gaz (Peg)
Argus assesses the price of contracts trading on France’s Point d’Echange de Gaz (Peg) virtual point.
Argus TTF
Argus produces benchmark assessments of the value of contracts trading on the Netherlands’ Title Transfer Facility, Europe’s most liquid virtual trading point.
Argus China gasoline index
The Argus China Gasoline index (Bohai) is a spot price assessed on a free on board basis for cargoes of 10ppm sulphur China 6 standard fuel loading at ports around northeast China’s Bohai Bay, home to the greatest concentration of Chinese independent refining capacity.
Argus/McCloskey's API 5
The API 5 price assessment is the key price reference used for coal supply agreements in the Australian and Chinese markets.
Argus/McCloskey's API 8
The API 8 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for the import market in China, the world’s largest coal consumer.
Argus Middle East fob ammonia
Argus publishes this price on a weekly basis, inclusive of shipments loading from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Oman, and also considers netbacks from price movements in key cfr export markets.
Argus/McCloskey's API 4
The API 4 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for 6,000 kcal/kg coal exported from South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal and is used in physical and over-the-counter contracts.
Argus Middle East sulphur fob
The Argus Middle East sulphur fob price assessment is a significant market reference point and Argus publishes the price on a weekly basis.
Argus Mars
The Argus Mars is a key crude benchmark and reflects oil spot prices for the US Gulf medium sour crude blend arriving on the Mars pipeline.
Baltic wood pellet
The fob Baltic wood pellet price assessment is the price reference for wood pellets sold out of Baltic ports in the 90-day spot window. It is also known as Argus fob Riga.
Argus palm kernel shells (PKS)
Argus assesses a fob east coast Sumatra palm kernel shell (PKS) spot price, for delivery within the next 90 days.
Argus fob Vietnam wood pellet
The Argus fob Vietnam wood pellet spot index is a leading price reference for industrial wood pellets loading at specified key ports in Vietnam, with a 90-day window.
Argus German diesel 10 ppm fob АРА
Котировка Argus German diesel с содержанием серы 10 ppm fob АРА
Argus European inland LNG
Argus publishes prices for LNG for use in transport and other small-scale applications at four key German locations. Our prices bring transparency for both buyers and sellers operating in this market.
Argus Northeast Asia des (ANEA™)
The Argus Northeast Asia des (ANEA™) LNG price is a daily physical spot price assessment for LNG cargoes delivered ex-ship (des) to ports in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The assessment is of prices for deliveries across four half-month windows that start 2-5 half months forward from the date of assessment.
Argus Austria VTP
Argus assesses the price of contracts trading on Austria’s Virtual Trading Point (VTP). Our gas price assessments are trusted and used by a wide range of customers throughout Europe as benchmarks in supply contracts, risk management processes, and downstream and infrastructure pricing.
Argus Point d’Echange de Gaz (Peg)
Argus assesses the price of contracts trading on France’s Point d’Echange de Gaz (Peg) virtual point.
Argus TTF
Argus produces benchmark assessments of the value of contracts trading on the Netherlands’ Title Transfer Facility, Europe’s most liquid virtual trading point.
Argus China gasoline index
The Argus China Gasoline index (Bohai) is a spot price assessed on a free on board basis for cargoes of 10ppm sulphur China 6 standard fuel loading at ports around northeast China’s Bohai Bay, home to the greatest concentration of Chinese independent refining capacity.
Argus/McCloskey's API 5
The API 5 price assessment is the key price reference used for coal supply agreements in the Australian and Chinese markets.
Argus/McCloskey's API 8
The API 8 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for the import market in China, the world’s largest coal consumer.
Argus Middle East fob ammonia
Argus publishes this price on a weekly basis, inclusive of shipments loading from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Oman, and also considers netbacks from price movements in key cfr export markets.
Argus/McCloskey's API 4
The API 4 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for 6,000 kcal/kg coal exported from South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal and is used in physical and over-the-counter contracts.
Argus Middle East sulphur fob
The Argus Middle East sulphur fob price assessment is a significant market reference point and Argus publishes the price on a weekly basis.
Argus Mars
The Argus Mars is a key crude benchmark and reflects oil spot prices for the US Gulf medium sour crude blend arriving on the Mars pipeline.
Related documents
Methodology
Get the most up-to-date guide to the methodology used to ensure the prices published in the Argus US Crack Spread Forward Curves are free from distortion and representative of spot market values.
Forward curves primer
An introduction to forward curves – what are they, how are they produced and why do they matter.