What Is the Oil Price to Natural Gasoline Ratio?
As its name suggests, the oil value to natural fuel ratio is a ratio during which the price of oil is the numerator and the price of natural fuel is the denominator.
The purpose of the oil value to natural fuel ratio is to clutch the relative valuation of the ones two vital energy commodities. It is widely used by commodities consumers, energy analysts, and consumers.
Key Takeaways
- The oil value to natural fuel ratio expresses the price of oil relative to natural fuel.
- It is a widely-used metric throughout the energy commodities market.
- The ratio has more than a few widely in recent years, achieving a historically low degree in April 2020 in all places the 2020 crisis.
Understanding the Oil Price to Natural Gasoline Ratio
Crude oil and natural fuel are vital energy commodities which could be actively traded on commodities markets such since the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). They are widely used as fuels for heating and electric power generation all over the world.
One NYMEX crude oil contract is the same to at least one,000 barrels of crude oil, whilst one natural fuel contract equals 10,000 British Thermal Units (MMBtu) of natural fuel. When calculating the oil value to natural fuel ratio, the oil numerator refers to barrels of oil whilst the natural fuel denominator refers to units of 10 MMBtu. The higher the oil value to natural fuel ratio, the bigger the price of oil relative to natural fuel. If the ratio declines, then this means the adaptation throughout the prices of the two commodities is narrowing.
Oftentimes, consumers will gain crude oil futures when the oil value to natural fuel ratio is beneath its historical averages, believing that they are receiving a bargain value for oil. Likewise, they will gain natural fuel futures when the ratio is above its historical norm. The an identical method can also art work in reverse, selling oil futures when the ratio is fundamental and selling natural fuel futures when the ratio is low.
Precise-Global Example of the Oil Price to Natural Gasoline Ratio
The oil value to natural fuel ratio has confirmed a just right amount of volatility in recent years. Up until 2009, for instance, the ratio averaged about 10:1, this means that that after oil was at $50 a barrel, natural fuel may well be at $5 consistent with MMBtu. In April 2012, on the other hand, the ratio jumped to 50:1, with oil at $120 consistent with barrel and natural fuel at only $2 consistent with MMBtu. Just a few years later, between June 2014 and March 2015, the price of oil dropped to $45 consistent with barrel, bringing the ratio the entire method right down to 16:1.
On the other hand possibly some of the dramatic contemporary fit throughout the oil value to natural fuel ratio handed off in April 2020, when the price of oil hit historic lows because of the 2020 global crisis. During this period, crude oil reached $15 consistent with barrel, while natural fuel reached $1.91 consistent with MMBtu, yielding a ratio of 8:1.