Crude Oil Trading Hours: What Time Can You Trade It?

Crude oil trading refers to buying and selling oil and oil-related instruments, with traders speculating on oil price fluctuations. Crude oil remains one of the most widely traded commodities globally, as it’s used in almost all sectors.

The two major oil price benchmarks are Brent crude oil and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI). Crude oil is primarily traded through futures contracts and CFDs (contracts for difference), which large consumers, refiners, and producers employ as part of a hedging strategy. Individuals, funds, and traders also do so, mainly to speculate on price movements.

» New to CFDs? See our beginner guide to crude oil CFD trading

The Basics of Crude Oil Trading Hours

Crude oil trading hours are typically longer than stock market hours in that you can usually trade oil almost 24 hours a day, five days a week. In any case, it will still depend on the type of crude oil. Generally, most traders want to trade oil when the markets are most active.

Here's some insight into trading sessions from around the world:

• Asian trading hours: This session often sees lower trading volumes and can be less volatile. It includes markets in countries like Japan, China, and Singapore.
• European trading hours: Known to experience increased activity and volatility, which includes London, a major hub for crude oil trading. This might seem intimidating, but there are many ways to trade Brent crude oil CFDs in a volatile market.
• North American trading hours: This session features the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). It often sees the highest trading volumes and significant price movements.
• Overlapping sessions: The overlap of the European and North American sessions (around 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST) is often considered the best time to trade crude oil. This overlap also combines the trading activities of these two major markets.

» You can still trade Brent crude oil CFDs without experience

Time Zones



Crude Oil Trading: Navigating the Clock

It’s important to note that there is technically no singular “best” time to trade oil because you can potentially profit/lose from both rising and falling markets when trading with derivatives (futures and CFDs).

When you speculate on the price of oil either rising or falling with derivatives, what’s more important is a sound analysis that will help you determine the performance of crude oil.

» Read more about trading other energy products with Fortrade