In times of cheap oil prices, the forward curve is often in contango.
That means that the price for a prompt delivery is cheaper than a delivery in the future.
So if you go long crude with futures, each month you have to roll your contracts before they expire, and buy a more expensive one. So you end up paying a premium.
Kinda like if you want to store oil to speculate, you have to pay for storage.
You might as well buy a basket of oil majors stocks, which are a pure play on oil prices
That means that the price for a prompt delivery is cheaper than a delivery in the future. So if you go long crude with futures, each month you have to roll your contracts before they expire, and buy a more expensive one. So you end up paying a premium.
Kinda like if you want to store oil to speculate, you have to pay for storage.
You might as well buy a basket of oil majors stocks, which are a pure play on oil prices