Oil Price History With Highs and Lows Since 1974

From 1948 to 1970, oil prices ranged between $2.50 and $3.00 a barrel. That's around $17 to $19 a barrel if adjusted for inflation. The United States was the world's dominant oil producer. It regulated prices. Domestic oil was plentiful. Cheap oil and gas made the expansion of interstate highways, interstate trucking, and auto ownership part of the America Dream. Families moved in droves to the suburbs.

In 1960, Saudi Arabia and other foreign oil-exporting nations formed OPEC. They wanted more control over oil prices. In 1971, regulators allowed U.S. companies to pump as much oil as they wanted. They began using up surplus reserves. As supply fell, prices rose. America became vulnerable to future shortages.

OPEC did not really flex its pricing muscle until President Nixon effectively took the U.S. dollar off of the gold standard in 1971. The value of the dollar plummeted, taking oil revenues down with it. All oil contracts are traded in U.S. dollars, so oil prices follow the value of the dollar. 

In 1973, OPEC halted oil exports to the United States. Its primary goal was to boost oil prices. It also wanted to punish America for its support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War. To prevent future shortages, Congress created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to provide a 90-day supply.

Since 1974, oil prices have been volatile.

 They are affected by more than the laws of supply and demand. Oil prices are determined by oil futures contracts on the commodities markets.  That means commodities traders control oil prices. They will drive prices up even if they only think there will be a surge in demand, such as during the summer driving season, or a shortage, such as during the Libyan uprising.

In 2011, oil prices developed a predictable seasonal swing. Prices rose in the spring as oil futures traders anticipated high demand for summer vacation driving. Once demand peaked, prices fell in the fall and winter. 

That changed in 2016.  OPEC increased prices in November when it cut production. It wanted to keep prices high in the face of increased U.S. production of shale oil and alternative fuels, such as ethanol. The supply increase had driven global oil prices down to a 13-year low of $26.55/b on January 20, 2016.  As a result, prices responded to OPEC's actions more than seasonal variations.  Today's oil price fluctuates due to these constantly changing conditions.

Six months before that, prices had been $60/b. 

Oil Prices by Year: Average, High, Low, and Events

The following chart shows the prices for imported Brent oil according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The first column shows the average annual price. It's followed by the high and low oil prices that year and the month they occurred. It points out reasons for the price variations and the accompanying events. 

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