# Coronavirus: Oil price collapses to lowest level for 18 years - BBC News

> Oil prices fell to their lowest since 2002 as coronavirus measures cut demand for transport fuel. Brent dropped to $22.58 and WTI fell below $20 during the session. Prices had more than halved over the previous month as companies cut back or closed production, and a Saudi-Russia price war added to the pressure.

- Date: 2020-03-30 · published 2020-03-30T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region Global · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/5323-coronavirus-oil-price-collapses-to-lowest-level-for-18-years-bbc-news
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md), [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md)

## Why it matters

Grounded airlines and reduced road traffic drove a sharp fall in fuel demand, which pushes crude and energy costs lower. Lower energy costs ease input and freight costs for feed producers, but the demand shock signals weaker economic activity.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bearish ▼
- BRENT: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2020-03-31 | 5 | -39.4% | -6.8 | Brent fell to about $22.58, the lowest since 2002, on lockdown-driven transport fuel demand loss and price war supply pressure. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WTI | 2020-02-27 | [Oil prices dive to lowest in over a year on coronavirus fears \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7109-oil-prices-dive-to-lowest-in-over-a-year-on-coronavirus-fears-reuters.md) | -3.9% | -55.0% |
| WTI | 2020-02-26 | [Oil prices drop to lowest in more than a year as coronavirus spreads](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7110-oil-prices-drop-to-lowest-in-more-than-a-year-as-coronavirus-spreads.md) | -5.2% | -55.9% |
| WTI | 2020-09-25 | [Oil prices down for the week on new coronavirus concerns](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51290-oil-prices-down-for-the-week-on-new-coronavirus-concerns.md) | -4.0% | +0.9% |
| WTI | 2020-02-26 | [Crude Sinks to Lowest in a Year as Coronavirus Panic Increases - Bloomberg](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7112-crude-sinks-to-lowest-in-a-year-as-coronavirus-panic-increases-bloomberg.md) | -5.2% | -55.9% |
| WTI | 2020-03-09 | [Shares sunk by coronavirus panic, oil prices plunge \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/4641-shares-sunk-by-coronavirus-panic-oil-prices-plunge-reuters.md) | -23.0% | -31.2% |
| BRENT | 2020-02-27 | [Oil prices dive to lowest in over a year on coronavirus fears \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7109-oil-prices-dive-to-lowest-in-over-a-year-on-coronavirus-fears-reuters.md) | -5.0% | -51.1% |
| BRENT | 2020-02-26 | [Oil prices drop to lowest in more than a year as coronavirus spreads](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7110-oil-prices-drop-to-lowest-in-more-than-a-year-as-coronavirus-spreads.md) | -5.6% | -53.2% |
| BRENT | 2020-09-25 | [Oil prices down for the week on new coronavirus concerns](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51290-oil-prices-down-for-the-week-on-new-coronavirus-concerns.md) | -3.0% | +0.7% |

## Sources

- bbc.co.uk: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52089127

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