So many different flavors of oil
Marketplace Morning Report
Marketplace
4.5 • 927 Ratings
🗓️ 15 April 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We talk a lot about the price of oil on this show, but there are actually dozens of types of oil. On today's program, we're learning about where they come from, what they're used for, and why the price of oil futures differs from oil's on-the-spot market price. And later, as energy gets more expensive, governments around the world are asking people to try to conserve energy. How much of an impact do those moves have?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This Marketplace podcast is supported by Fayree Drinker, one of the largest law firms in Minnesota, |
| 0:06.4 | with nearly 300 Minneapolis attorneys helping clients solve complex legal issues in meeting their goals |
| 0:12.4 | in the Twin Cities and Beyond, Faygridrinker.com. |
| 0:18.2 | The hundreds of different flavors of oil. |
| 0:22.2 | From Marketplace, I'm Sabrina Banishore. |
| 0:24.8 | There is some optimism in oil markets that the U.S. and Iran could be talking again soon. |
| 0:30.8 | The price of Brent crude is now under $95 a barrel. |
| 0:34.4 | That, though, is just one type of oil, and there are many. Fernando Valley is managing |
| 0:39.6 | director of energy for hedge-eye risk management. Fernando, great to have you back. Happy to be here, |
| 0:45.4 | Sabre. Okay, I wanted to clear something up just right off the bat here. We hear about how oil is a global |
| 0:50.2 | market, supply shortages in one place affect others, And yet, if you try to look up the |
| 0:55.6 | price of oil, there is not just one price. Or there's like 150 plus, although the two we hear |
| 1:01.3 | about most are West Texas intermediate and Brent crude. Why are there so many oils at different prices? |
| 1:07.1 | And which ones should we care about? Oil is not as homogeneous as you would expect. |
| 1:13.4 | Every type of oil will have an inherent yield, which it means when you process a barrel of oil, |
| 1:19.7 | it's not all going to be gasoline. |
| 1:21.6 | It's not all going to be diesel. |
| 1:23.6 | And then on top of that, you have locations. |
| 1:27.0 | So Brent is actually an oil field in the North Sea in the UK. |
| 1:32.3 | Currently doesn't produce much at all, but it's used more as a financial benchmark. |
| 1:37.1 | Whereas WTI, the contract is for physical delivery off crude in Cushing, Oklahoma. |
| 1:43.3 | Got it. |
... |
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