Uneven crude oil pricing contrasted with overall strength across global energy markets.
Energy prices were broadly higher in afternoon trading on Friday (May 15, 2026), with benchmark crude futures rising as traders assessed shifting global supply signals.
At 2:01 pm in Tokyo, West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) rose $1.24 to $102.41, a gain of 1.23%.
Brent crude oil increased $1.24 to $106.96, up 1.17%, while Murban crude oil climbed $0.55 to $104.70, marking a 0.53% rise.
Refined oil products also traded higher.
Gasoline futures rose 0.034 to $3.640, up 0.94%, while heating oil gained 0.036 to $3.941, marking an increase of 0.92%.
Natural gas edged higher, rising 0.027 to $2.921, a gain of 0.93%.
Price movements were mixed across regional crude benchmarks.
The gains reflected continued sensitivity in oil markets to expectations about supply availability, including production discipline among major exporters and shifting trade flows influenced by geopolitical risks and shipping constraints.
Traders have been closely watching signals from both OPEC+ members and non-OPEC producers, as these continue to influence short-term price direction.
Despite the overall upward movement, price changes remained uneven across regional crude benchmarks, highlighting differing supply-demand conditions in various markets and ongoing volatility in global energy pricing.
Global crude benchmarks showed mixed performance.
WTI Midland crude oil slipped $0.21 to $103.03, while Mars crude oil fell $0.93 to $121.23. Urals crude oil dropped $4.56 to $97.51, and Western Canadian Select crude oil declined by $1.16 to $88.67.
In contrast, several international benchmarks posted stronger gains. The OPEC basket rose $7.43 to $115.09, while Dubai crude oil climbed $6.18 to $103.76. Indian basket crude oil also gained $6.53 to $109.05.
Meanwhile, Brent-weighted average prices advanced $3.07 to $107.28.
US domestic crude benchmarks posted gains across several hubs.
Louisiana Light Sweet crude oil rose $3.56 to $103.06, while benchmark grades at Cushing and Giddings also advanced by $7.10.
ANS crude oil increased $2.94 to $114.27, and Gulf Coast high-sulfur fuel oil climbed $3.28 to $92.33.
In other energy markets, Dutch TTF natural gas rose $0.82 to $16.09, while Japan Korea Marker LNG edged up $0.11 to $16.99.
Ethanol futures declined 0.033 to $1.953.
The mixed performance across regions highlighted uneven pricing trends among global crude grades, even as broader energy markets maintained a firmer tone heading into the close of trading.
