Oil Price (WTI) in 2002
The oil price (WTI) rose 56.4% in 2002, from $19.96 at the end of 2001 to $31.21. Its highest close was $32.68 on Dec 27, and its lowest $18.02 on Jan 18. The biggest one-day fall was −6.0% on May 28 and the biggest rise +6.2% on Dec 16. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 52.7%.
Oil Price (WTI), daily closes 2002
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 2002
What happened, and how the WTI oil moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Tuesday, May 28 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −6.0%.
- 2
Monday, August 19 From the dataBack above its pre-bear-market peak of $29.59 (September 14, 2001).
- 3
Monday, December 16 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +6.2%.
- 4
Thursday, December 26 From the dataBack above its pre-bear-market peak of $32.21 (January 22, 2001).
Biggest days of 2002
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16 | +6.2% | May 28 | −6.0% |
| Jan 2 | +5.9% | Apr 12 | −5.7% |
| Feb 26 | +5.6% | Apr 11 | −4.7% |
| Feb 11 | +5.1% | Jul 22 | −4.4% |
| Dec 23 | +5.0% | Oct 21 | −4.2% |
Volatility: 33.5% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $19.71 | −1.3% |
| Feb | $21.78 | +10.5% |
| Mar | $26.21 | +20.3% |
| Apr | $27.32 | +4.2% |
| May | $25.37 | −7.1% |
| Jun | $26.79 | +5.6% |
| Jul | $27.02 | +0.9% |
| Aug | $28.97 | +7.2% |
| Sep | $30.59 | +5.6% |
| Oct | $27.18 | −11.1% |
| Nov | $26.87 | −1.1% |
| Dec | $31.21 | +16.2% |
Other Markets in 2002
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Oil Price (WTI) | +56.4% | $31.21 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2002 | −16.8% | 8,341.63 |
| S&P 500 in 2002 | −23.4% | 879.82 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 2002 | −31.5% | 1,335.51 |
| Russell 2000 in 2002 | −21.6% | 383.09 |
| Nikkei 225 in 2002 | −18.6% | 8,578.95 |
| Gold in 2002 | +25.6% | $347.20 |
| Silver in 2002 | +3.3% | $4.67 |
| Brent crude oil in 2002 | +55.7% | $30.12 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 2002 | −1.24 pp | 3.83% |
Oil Price (WTI) in 2002: FAQ
How much did the oil price (WTI) rise in 2002?
The oil price (WTI) rose 56.4% in 2002, from $19.96 at the end of 2001 to $31.21. Its highest close was $32.68 on Dec 27, and its lowest $18.02 on Jan 18. The biggest one-day fall was −6.0% on May 28 and the biggest rise +6.2% on Dec 16. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 52.7%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the oil price (WTI) in 2002?
Highest: $32.68 on December 27, 2002. Lowest: $18.02 on January 18, 2002. It closed higher on 135 of 250 trading days.
Data: WTI Cushing spot price (EIA via FRED) from 1986, NYMEX front-month futures closes after that. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026oilpricewtiin, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Oil Price (WTI) in 2002}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/oil-wti/2002}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}