Wellhead Price in Oil and Gas [Definitive Guide]

What’s the price of oil today? Well, that strongly depends on both where you are. Also at what stage along the resource supply chain you are on. In the realm of mineral rights, there are many different ways in which natural resources are quantified and sold. This includes such as oil, natural gas, and coal. For those with a passive or direct business interest in oil or gas production, we’ve developed this resource as a guide to wellhead price and some of today’s most commonly sought-after definitions.

What is a wellhead price?

The wellhead price of oil or gas is the exact value of the resource at the point of extraction. The “well-head” refers to the pinpointed location in which a well produces oil ready for sale. The term wellhead price can be used in place of both “field price” and “realized price,”. It is also occasionally expressed as the “price of oil at the well-head.”

Here, the most important thing to understand about the wellhead price is that no costs have been levied against the value. Wellhead pricing is the absolute highest valued resource cost along the supply chain as transportation and handling costs are not accounted for in this figure.

Why is the oil price on my royalty payment different from the wellhead price?

The oil and gas price as expressed on a royalty statement is almost always going to be lower. This is compared to the wellhead price. This is largely due to the fact that oil must be refined after it has been extracted from the earth. Knowing this, transportation costs ensue, which bring down the net price of the oil that has been extracted and sold.

As a mineral rights owner, you are entitled to a fixed percentage of the gross profits. This is from a successful oil and gas lease. Although transportation costs are deducted from the wellhead price, these expenses are absolutely necessary. This is to bring the product to market and therefore netted from the wellhead price.

Price Differentials in Oil and Gas Wellhead Price

Besides transportation, there are a few other factors that make up the price differentials. This is between the wellhead price and the actual price of an oil or gas production. Depending on the quality of the raw materials, there are extensive costs for adjusting the quality and energy content. This also includes adhering to local regulations.

Here, we can expand the definition of a wellhead price. This transpires at “an arms-length agreement” in the sense that all parties are acting in their own best interests. Wellhead prices are meant to represent fair and balanced values of resources. On the other hand, the actual price of any given resource extraction may be heavily influenced by existing business and supply chain relationships that could not be classified at arm’s length.

The First Purchase Price (FPP) of Oil

After the price differentials have been applied to the wellhead price of an oil production, the first purchase price (often abbreviated as FPP) is released by the seller. The first purchase price is measured in price per barrel, typically expressed as price per bbl, and is valued at the exact price at which oil is sold to the first buyer after entering the market.

The first purchase price of oil must be reported by the purchaser after completing a fair and honest arms-length transaction. Sales are typically expressed on a run ticket or another form of purchasing receipt. Deductions and premiums may be added on or adjusted if there are many mineral rights owners or extenuating circumstances.

What is the commodity price of oil?

The commodity price of oil is the value at which the price of oil is traded in markets throughout the world. Much like gold, silver, natural gas, and now water, oil is a commodity that is taken from producers and sold on the open market. Expressed as a real dollar amount, the commodity price of crude oil is sometimes referred to as black gold thanks to its centuries as a valuable resource.

Many people believe that the commodity price of a barrel of oil is the most important commodity in the world, as the resource is used in nearly every country in the world to varying extents. The commodity price of oil rises up and falls down all as a result of global supply and demand. Like in 2020 the commodity price of oil dropped dramatically after global demand was reduced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you have further questions about gas, oil, royalty payment, and more, feel free to contact us here.