Crude oil prices increased in first-half 2022 and declined in second-half 2022

In the final trading day of 2022, the spot price of Brent crude oil, a global benchmark priced in Northwest Europe, closed at $85 per barrel (b), $7 higher than the price on January 3, 2022 ($78/b). The Brent price rose significantly in the first half of 2022 but generally declined in the second half of the year. The spot price for West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a benchmark price for U.S. crude oil, followed a similar pattern, finishing the 2022 trading year $4/b higher than on January 3. The Brent crude oil spot price averaged $100/b in 2022, and the WTI spot price averaged $95/b.