Oil rig

Crude oil trading

Oil is one of the most heavily traded commodities due to its key role in the economy. Whether you’re a seasoned trader or just starting out, this hub is designed to help you navigate the oil market with ease.
Oil rig

Crude oil explained

What is crude oil?
Crude oil is a liquid fossil fuel, often referred to as ‘black gold’. It is a non-renewable energy source, which is one of the causes of its heavy fluctuations in prices.
Why trade crude oil?
The crude oil market is one of the most liquid markets in the world, creating opportunities to buy and sell quickly and profit from supply and demand fluctuations.
How to trade crude oil
When you trade oil, you’ll be using derivative products to speculate on the underlying market price. There are two main ways you can trade oil with us: via futures and spot prices.

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Crude oil FAQs

Which are the top oil-producing countries?

The top oil-producing countries are the US, Saudi Arabia and Russia, although shifting macroeconomic factors may cause the order to change as time goes on.

Learn more about the top oil-producing countries

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What factors can affect oil prices?

There are three main factors that commodities traders look at when developing the bids that influence oil prices. These are the current supply, future supply, and expected demand. Geopolitical and trade tensions can also be a big factor in oil process.

Learn more about the factors affecting oil prices

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What countries make up OPEC?

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a group of 13 of the world’s largest oil-exporting nations. It was founded in 1960 to coordinate petroleum policies and create a support system between the founding countries.

The current 13 members of OPEC include: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria and The United Arab Emirates.

Read more about OPEC countries and how it can impact your trade

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What is the impact of global events on the oil market?

Crude oil prices have historically been influenced by various global events. For example, an important event like the US elections can influence price movements and overall volatility.

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Why trade crude oil with FOREX.com?
Throughout our time as a trusted broker, we’ve remained steadfast in providing traders with the stability and opportunities they need to make their mark on the financial markets.
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Reliable, consistent trade execution
Peace of mind that your trades are executed swiftly, with a 100%* execution rate of less than a second.
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Award-winning trading platforms
Enjoy a suite of powerful platforms and get access to Performance Analytics, exclusively at FOREX.com.
Global market leader
We have over 20 years of experience in providing innovative products and helping traders around the world achieve their goals.
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Part of StoneX Group Inc.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of a NASDAQ-traded company, we possess the solid foundations and financial strength to innovate and push the industry forward.

*Refers to trade executions for GAIN Global Markets Inc. Please note that multiple factors may impact execution speed, including but not limited; market conditions, platform type, network connectivity, trading strategies, and account type. Forex.com’s execution statistics represent GAIN Global Markets Inc. orders executed on FOREX.com's platforms during market hours between December 31, 2024, 5:00 pm ET, and January 31, 2025, 5:00 pm ET and excludes trades/orders entered on the MetaTrader platform.

Market volatility, volume, and system availability may delay trade executions. Price can change quickly in fast market conditions, resulting in an execution price different from the price available at the time order is submitted. Price improvement is not guaranteed and will not occur in all situations.

Excludes trades that received non-standard order processing and orders that failed to trigger

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