Micro WTI Crude Oil Futures (MCL) — Contract Specs
NYMEX · Energy · 100 barrels vs 1,000 barrels for CL
One tenth of CL and — importantly — financially settled rather than physically delivered. That difference matters more than the size for anyone who might hold to expiry.
Contract specifications
| Exchange symbol | MCL |
|---|---|
| Exchange | NYMEX |
| Contract size | 100 barrels |
| Minimum tick | $0.01 per barrel |
| Value per tick | $1.00 |
| Contract months | All 12 calendar months |
| Settlement | Financially settled |
| Trading hours | Sun–Fri 18:00–17:00 ET, 60-minute break each day at 17:00 ET |
| Smaller version of | CL |
Where these figures come from
Compiled from the exchanges' published contract specifications (CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX). Last reviewed .
Every contract is checked for internal consistency: the tick value must equal the contract size multiplied by the tick. All 41 agree, including the interest-rate contracts quoted in fractions of a thirty-second of a point.
These figures are NOT independently verified against the exchange. We do not fetch cmegroup.com - it refuses our requests and its terms do not permit it - so an exchange that changes a contract specification will not be reflected here until someone reviews it by hand. Check with the exchange or your broker before trading on them.
What one tick is worth
The minimum price increment is $0.01 per barrel. Because the contract covers 100 barrels, each tick is worth $1.00 per contract. That is the appeal of the smaller size: identical price exposure per tick as CL, at a fraction of the notional.
This contract is cash settled, so there is no delivery obligation and no first notice day. Positions settle in cash against the reference price.
Other contracts on this market
| Contract | Size | Per tick |
|---|---|---|
| WTI Crude Oil CL · NYMEX | 1,000 barrels | $10.00 |