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.
Argus des Shandong
Argus des Shandong reflects five oil spot markets in key regions for China oil imports.
Argus 8800 PRB
The Powder River basin is the largest coal-producing basin in the US and produces half of the coal used for US power generation. The coal is a cost-effective fuel choice for generators.
Argus NYH barge diesel
New York Harbor (NYH) is one of the largest clearing markets for diesel in the Atlantic basin. The price of a NYH barge is considered the bellwether of distillate demand in the US Northeast, and underpins several major futures contracts.
Argus TMX Fob Vancouver
Get a real view with Argus TMX market updates and comprehensive coverage
Argus Polyethylene Transaction Index
The Argus Polyethylene Transaction Index (PTI) covers indexes for LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE
Argus marine biodiesel B24 dob Guangzhou
The first independent spot price assessment for China
Argus European UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in Europe.
Argus US UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in North America.
Argus Asian UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in Asia.
Argus European RED marine biodiesel indexes
Argus B24 (UCOME) dob West Med, Argus B30, B100 (Advanced Fame 0) dob ARA, Argus B30 (UCOME) fob ARA.
Argus ESPO Blend
Pricing for light crude shipped through the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean
US coking coal
Argus provides three fob Hampton Roads coking coal price assessments — low-volatile, high-volatile type A (HVA) and high-volatile type B (HVB).
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/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 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/McCloskey's API 2
The API 2 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for coal imported to northwest Europe. It is calculated as an average of the Argus cif ARA price assessment and the IHS McCloskey NW Europe Steam Coal marker.
Argus des Shandong
Argus des Shandong reflects five oil spot markets in key regions for China oil imports.
Argus 8800 PRB
The Powder River basin is the largest coal-producing basin in the US and produces half of the coal used for US power generation. The coal is a cost-effective fuel choice for generators.
Argus NYH barge diesel
New York Harbor (NYH) is one of the largest clearing markets for diesel in the Atlantic basin. The price of a NYH barge is considered the bellwether of distillate demand in the US Northeast, and underpins several major futures contracts.
Argus TMX Fob Vancouver
Get a real view with Argus TMX market updates and comprehensive coverage
Argus Polyethylene Transaction Index
The Argus Polyethylene Transaction Index (PTI) covers indexes for LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE
Argus marine biodiesel B24 dob Guangzhou
The first independent spot price assessment for China
Argus European UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in Europe.
Argus US UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in North America.
Argus Asian UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in Asia.
Argus European RED marine biodiesel indexes
Argus B24 (UCOME) dob West Med, Argus B30, B100 (Advanced Fame 0) dob ARA, Argus B30 (UCOME) fob ARA.
Argus ESPO Blend
Pricing for light crude shipped through the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean
US coking coal
Argus provides three fob Hampton Roads coking coal price assessments — low-volatile, high-volatile type A (HVA) and high-volatile type B (HVB).
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/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 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/McCloskey's API 2
The API 2 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for coal imported to northwest Europe. It is calculated as an average of the Argus cif ARA price assessment and the IHS McCloskey NW Europe Steam Coal marker.
Argus des Shandong
Argus des Shandong reflects five oil spot markets in key regions for China oil imports.
Argus 8800 PRB
The Powder River basin is the largest coal-producing basin in the US and produces half of the coal used for US power generation. The coal is a cost-effective fuel choice for generators.
Argus NYH barge diesel
New York Harbor (NYH) is one of the largest clearing markets for diesel in the Atlantic basin. The price of a NYH barge is considered the bellwether of distillate demand in the US Northeast, and underpins several major futures contracts.
Argus TMX Fob Vancouver
Get a real view with Argus TMX market updates and comprehensive coverage
Argus Polyethylene Transaction Index
The Argus Polyethylene Transaction Index (PTI) covers indexes for LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE
Argus marine biodiesel B24 dob Guangzhou
The first independent spot price assessment for China
Argus European UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in Europe.
Argus US UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in North America.
Argus Asian UCO price assessments
Trusted price assessments capturing the value of used cooking oil in Asia.
Argus European RED marine biodiesel indexes
Argus B24 (UCOME) dob West Med, Argus B30, B100 (Advanced Fame 0) dob ARA, Argus B30 (UCOME) fob ARA.
Argus ESPO Blend
Pricing for light crude shipped through the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean
US coking coal
Argus provides three fob Hampton Roads coking coal price assessments — low-volatile, high-volatile type A (HVA) and high-volatile type B (HVB).
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/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 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/McCloskey's API 2
The API 2 price assessment is the benchmark price reference for coal imported to northwest Europe. It is calculated as an average of the Argus cif ARA price assessment and the IHS McCloskey NW Europe Steam Coal marker.
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.
