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 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.
Petroleum coke: Argus fob USGC high sulphur coke index
The Argus fob US Gulf 6.5pc sulphur 40 HGI petroleum coke index is the benchmark price reference for coke originating in the US Gulf and midcontinent and shipping to the seaborne market.
Argus Asia-Pacific coking coal
Argus publishes fob Australia, cfr China and cfr India indexes for premium low-volatile hard coking coal, mid-volatile hard coking coal, and pulverised coal injection (PCI) in Argus Ferrous Markets and delivered online through the Argus Metals platform. Argus also publishes prices for Chinese and Colombian metallurgical coke exports.
Argus aluminium scrap
Recycled aluminium is a valuable input material in the production of new aluminium products, and provides additional benefit through a reduced environmental impact and improved energy efficiency compared with mined raw materials.
Argus China HRC
The Argus China HRC price assessment is the official settlement price for the London Metal Exchange (LME) Steel Hot-Rolled Coil FOB China Futures contract.
Argus US HRC
Hot-rolled coil (HRC) is the predominant finished steel form in the US domestic and global steel industry, and the foundation for many steel-based industrial products.
Argus northwest EU HRC steel
The Argus northwest European HRC price assessment is the official settlement price for the CME North European Hot-Rolled Coil Futures contract.
Argus cobalt
Argus offers a range of global cobalt price assessments, most of which are published twice weekly to adequately reflect price changes and liquidity.
Argus iron ore
Argus offers a comprehensive suite of iron ore assessments across fines and lump, seaborne and portside prices.
Argus lithium
Interest in lithium prices continues to grow as a result of the electric vehicle revolution driving demand for lithium-ion batteries.
Argus Brent Sour
An index based on the lowest priced of five fob traded North Sea grades — Johan Sverdrup, Grane, Flotta Gold, Brent and Forties.
Nymex roll
The commonly-used calculation to determine the physical price of crude at Cushing.
Argus WTI Midland
The Argus WTI Midland price is a volume-weighted average of spot trades. The oil price is a differential to Nymex light sweet crude futures settlement.
Argus WTI Houston
The light sweet crude oil price on the US Gulf coast is based on the Argus Houston WTI price, which is the most transparent WTI price indicator.
Argus Western Canadian Select
Argus Western Canadian Select examines Cold Lake and Western Canadian Select (WCS oil prices), the most active spots on the US Gulf Coast for heavy crude oil streams.
Argus Sour Crude Index™ (ASCI™)
The Argus Sour Crude Index™ reflects medium sour crude prices at the US Gulf Coast trading hub, mainly used by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait to price oil exports to the US.
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.
Petroleum coke: Argus fob USGC high sulphur coke index
The Argus fob US Gulf 6.5pc sulphur 40 HGI petroleum coke index is the benchmark price reference for coke originating in the US Gulf and midcontinent and shipping to the seaborne market.
Argus Asia-Pacific coking coal
Argus publishes fob Australia, cfr China and cfr India indexes for premium low-volatile hard coking coal, mid-volatile hard coking coal, and pulverised coal injection (PCI) in Argus Ferrous Markets and delivered online through the Argus Metals platform. Argus also publishes prices for Chinese and Colombian metallurgical coke exports.
Argus aluminium scrap
Recycled aluminium is a valuable input material in the production of new aluminium products, and provides additional benefit through a reduced environmental impact and improved energy efficiency compared with mined raw materials.
Argus China HRC
The Argus China HRC price assessment is the official settlement price for the London Metal Exchange (LME) Steel Hot-Rolled Coil FOB China Futures contract.
Argus US HRC
Hot-rolled coil (HRC) is the predominant finished steel form in the US domestic and global steel industry, and the foundation for many steel-based industrial products.
Argus northwest EU HRC steel
The Argus northwest European HRC price assessment is the official settlement price for the CME North European Hot-Rolled Coil Futures contract.
Argus cobalt
Argus offers a range of global cobalt price assessments, most of which are published twice weekly to adequately reflect price changes and liquidity.
Argus iron ore
Argus offers a comprehensive suite of iron ore assessments across fines and lump, seaborne and portside prices.
Argus lithium
Interest in lithium prices continues to grow as a result of the electric vehicle revolution driving demand for lithium-ion batteries.
Argus Brent Sour
An index based on the lowest priced of five fob traded North Sea grades — Johan Sverdrup, Grane, Flotta Gold, Brent and Forties.
Nymex roll
The commonly-used calculation to determine the physical price of crude at Cushing.
Argus WTI Midland
The Argus WTI Midland price is a volume-weighted average of spot trades. The oil price is a differential to Nymex light sweet crude futures settlement.
Argus WTI Houston
The light sweet crude oil price on the US Gulf coast is based on the Argus Houston WTI price, which is the most transparent WTI price indicator.
Argus Western Canadian Select
Argus Western Canadian Select examines Cold Lake and Western Canadian Select (WCS oil prices), the most active spots on the US Gulf Coast for heavy crude oil streams.
Argus Sour Crude Index™ (ASCI™)
The Argus Sour Crude Index™ reflects medium sour crude prices at the US Gulf Coast trading hub, mainly used by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait to price oil exports to the US.
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.
Petroleum coke: Argus fob USGC high sulphur coke index
The Argus fob US Gulf 6.5pc sulphur 40 HGI petroleum coke index is the benchmark price reference for coke originating in the US Gulf and midcontinent and shipping to the seaborne market.
Argus Asia-Pacific coking coal
Argus publishes fob Australia, cfr China and cfr India indexes for premium low-volatile hard coking coal, mid-volatile hard coking coal, and pulverised coal injection (PCI) in Argus Ferrous Markets and delivered online through the Argus Metals platform. Argus also publishes prices for Chinese and Colombian metallurgical coke exports.
Argus aluminium scrap
Recycled aluminium is a valuable input material in the production of new aluminium products, and provides additional benefit through a reduced environmental impact and improved energy efficiency compared with mined raw materials.
Argus China HRC
The Argus China HRC price assessment is the official settlement price for the London Metal Exchange (LME) Steel Hot-Rolled Coil FOB China Futures contract.
Argus US HRC
Hot-rolled coil (HRC) is the predominant finished steel form in the US domestic and global steel industry, and the foundation for many steel-based industrial products.
Argus northwest EU HRC steel
The Argus northwest European HRC price assessment is the official settlement price for the CME North European Hot-Rolled Coil Futures contract.
Argus cobalt
Argus offers a range of global cobalt price assessments, most of which are published twice weekly to adequately reflect price changes and liquidity.
Argus iron ore
Argus offers a comprehensive suite of iron ore assessments across fines and lump, seaborne and portside prices.
Argus lithium
Interest in lithium prices continues to grow as a result of the electric vehicle revolution driving demand for lithium-ion batteries.
Argus Brent Sour
An index based on the lowest priced of five fob traded North Sea grades — Johan Sverdrup, Grane, Flotta Gold, Brent and Forties.
Nymex roll
The commonly-used calculation to determine the physical price of crude at Cushing.
Argus WTI Midland
The Argus WTI Midland price is a volume-weighted average of spot trades. The oil price is a differential to Nymex light sweet crude futures settlement.
Argus WTI Houston
The light sweet crude oil price on the US Gulf coast is based on the Argus Houston WTI price, which is the most transparent WTI price indicator.
Argus Western Canadian Select
Argus Western Canadian Select examines Cold Lake and Western Canadian Select (WCS oil prices), the most active spots on the US Gulf Coast for heavy crude oil streams.
Argus Sour Crude Index™ (ASCI™)
The Argus Sour Crude Index™ reflects medium sour crude prices at the US Gulf Coast trading hub, mainly used by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait to price oil exports to the US.
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.