intermediate crude

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures last year traded as much as$ 10 a barrel less than Brent, its rival from the North Sea.

去年，西德克萨斯中质原油期货价格比北海布伦特原油（brent）期货价格低了10美元。

But oil prices have tumbled since the summer, with the price of the benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude dropping to less than$ 60 in December from more than$ 100 a barrel in July.

但油价自今年夏天以来不断下跌，今年12月，作为基准的美国西德克萨斯中质原油（West Texas Intermediate）的价格从7月的每桶100美元（约合620元人民币）跌至不足60美元。