Instruments · Energies
Energy CFDs: crude oil, Brent and natural gas
WTI, Brent crude and natural gas CFDs — high-volatility, macro-driven markets, with execution built for fast-moving inventory and OPEC+ headlines.
Overview
The markets every economy runs on
Crude oil and natural gas sit at the centre of global macro trading — every OPEC+ meeting, inventory report and geopolitical headline moves them. Trade WTI, Brent and natural gas CFDs with AQ Markets on execution built for fast, headline-driven markets.
Oil trading basics
What is oil trading with CFDs?
Oil trading with CFDs lets you speculate on the price of WTI or Brent crude without owning any barrels. You open a position on a contract that tracks the oil price. If you buy and the price rises, you gain the difference. If it falls, you lose it. Losses can exceed your deposit.
What moves oil and gas prices?
OPEC+ output decisions, weekly US inventory reports, refinery demand, shipping disruptions and sanctions all move crude. Brent is the international benchmark and WTI tracks US supply. Natural gas follows weather forecasts, storage levels and LNG demand, so a cold snap can move it quickly. Index CFDs react to many of the same macro headlines.
When do energy CFDs trade?
Our sample specifications show 23 hours a day, five days a week. Volatility tends to peak around inventory releases and OPEC+ meetings, and liquidity can thin out at the daily break and before the weekend. Check market hours before you place an order, and read how CFDs work if the product is new to you.
Worked example
Oil CFD example: a 2 dollar move
Hypothetical example: WTI trades at 80.00 dollars a barrel. You buy 0.01 lot, which is 10 barrels at a 1,000 barrel contract size. The price rises to 82.00. Your gain is 2.00 × 10 = 20 dollars, before spread and swap.
| Step | Hypothetical figure |
|---|---|
| Entry | 80.00 dollars a barrel |
| Exit | 82.00 dollars a barrel |
| Move | +2.00 per barrel (10 barrels) |
| Result | +20 dollars, before spread and swap |
If the price had fallen to 78.00, you would have lost 20 dollars. A short position reverses both results. Margin is a fraction of the full 800 dollar position value, so a small deposit controls a larger exposure and magnifies losses as well as gains. Test your own numbers in the calculators and see trading conditions for margin and swap detail.
Why energies
Why trade energies with AQ Markets
Crude, refined & natural gas
WTI, Brent and natural gas — the benchmarks that move on every OPEC+ decision and inventory print.
High-volatility, high-opportunity
Energy markets are among the most reactive to geopolitical and macro headlines — built for active traders.
Near round-the-clock trading
Access energy markets across most of the trading week, in step with global supply and demand news.
Inventory-cycle awareness
Weekly inventory data releases are flagged inside the platform so you can plan around known volatility events.
- ✓ No restrictions. No restrictions on scalping, hedging or EA use across supported platforms.
- ✓ One account. Forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and crypto CFDs from a single account.
- ✓ Tight spreads. Spreads from 0.0 pips on majors, sourced from a deep liquidity pool.
Quick stats
Energies at a glance
Spec table
Energy instrument specifications
Sample energy markets and indicative trading conditions. The full instrument list is available inside the platform.
| Symbol | Description | Min Spread | Swap Long | Swap Short | Contract Size | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USOIL | WTI Crude Oil | 0.03 | -1.8 | 0.5 | 1,000 barrels | 23/5 |
| UKOIL | Brent Crude Oil | 0.03 | -2.0 | 0.6 | 1,000 barrels | 23/5 |
| NATGAS | Natural Gas | 0.005 | -1.2 | 0.4 | 10,000 MMBtu | 23/5 |
| HEATOIL | Heating Oil | 0.02 | -1.0 | 0.3 | 42,000 gallons | 23/5 |
Illustrative sample data, not live market prices.
Trading conditions
Execution built for energies
- ✓ Market execution — no dealing-desk intervention, no requotes.
- ✓ Average fill time 38ms (sample figure).
- ✓ Leverage on energies varies by instrument and jurisdiction — see Trading Conditions (eligibility applies).
- ✓ Margin call and stop-out levels published per account type.
Platforms
Trade energies on your platform of choice
Questions
Energy CFD questions answered
WTI is the US benchmark. Brent prices most of the world’s seaborne crude. The two usually move together but can diverge on regional supply news.
Positions held past the daily rollover pay or receive a swap. Sample rates appear in the table above and are sample figures.
Often it is, mainly because weather shifts demand fast. Size positions with that in mind. See also commodity CFDs and metals.
Risk warning. Forex and CFD trading is leveraged and carries a high level of risk to your capital. Prices can move quickly against you, and losses can exceed your initial deposit. Please read our Risk Disclosure before trading.
Learn more
Related guides
Short explainers and tools that go with this page.