# US oil prices turn negative as demand dries up

> US oil prices turned negative for the first time, with WTI falling as low as minus $37.63 a barrel. Producers paid buyers to take crude as storage capacity was expected to run out, while lockdowns had dried up demand.

- Date: 2020-04-20 · published 2020-04-20T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region US · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/4480-us-oil-prices-turn-negative-as-demand-dries-up
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md), [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md)

## Why it matters

The negative price reflects a storage-driven glut from lockdown-driven demand loss, signalling deep downward pressure on crude. Lower energy prices reduce input costs but also weaken biofuel economics that support vegetable oil and grain demand.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bearish ▼
- BRENT: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2020-04-21 | 5 | -58.0% | -11.5 | WTI turning negative on 20 April signaled storage exhaustion and demand collapse, spilling over into Brent via sentiment and a rush out of futures. |
| BRENT | 2020-04-21 | 1 | -47.5% | -6.8 | WTI going negative on Apr 20 triggered contagion and panic into Brent, with the storage shortage signaling the same glut risk globally. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WTI | 2025-04-07 | [Palm and Soy Oil Prices Drop as Oil Prices Decline](https://feedsoft.ai/events/9631-palm-and-soy-oil-prices-drop-as-oil-prices-decline.md) | -0.8% | -6.8% |
| WTI | 2025-01-26 | [Oil Drops As Trump Urges OPEC To Cut Prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26667-oil-drops-as-trump-urges-opec-to-cut-prices.md) | -2.8% | -5.2% |
| WTI | 2024-11-19 | [What do Diesel and Gasoline Tell us About Oil Prices?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27582-what-do-diesel-and-gasoline-tell-us-about-oil-prices.md) | -0.2% | +1.3% |
| WTI | 2021-08-31 | [Oil Prices Tumble On Demand Concerns Ahead Of OPEC+ Meeting](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45724-oil-prices-tumble-on-demand-concerns-ahead-of-opec-meeting.md) | -1.2% | +8.9% |
| WTI | 2021-04-21 | [Oil prices drop as India’s COVID-19 surge dents demand outlook \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/47759-oil-prices-drop-as-india-s-covid-19-surge-dents-demand-outlook-reuters.md) | +0.7% | +4.7% |
| BRENT | 2025-04-07 | [Palm and Soy Oil Prices Drop as Oil Prices Decline](https://feedsoft.ai/events/9631-palm-and-soy-oil-prices-drop-as-oil-prices-decline.md) | -1.7% | -9.0% |
| BRENT | 2025-01-26 | [Oil Drops As Trump Urges OPEC To Cut Prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26667-oil-drops-as-trump-urges-opec-to-cut-prices.md) | -2.1% | -5.0% |
| BRENT | 2021-08-31 | [Oil Prices Tumble On Demand Concerns Ahead Of OPEC+ Meeting](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45724-oil-prices-tumble-on-demand-concerns-ahead-of-opec-meeting.md) | -0.4% | +8.7% |

## Sources

- bbc.com: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52350082

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.