Something bizarre happened in the oil markets on Monday: Prices fell so much that some traders paid buyers to take oil off their hands.
The price of the main U.S. oil benchmark fell more than $50 a barrel to end the day about $30 below zero, the first time oil prices have ever turned negative. Such an eye-popping slide is the result of a quirk in the oil market, but it underscores the industry’s disarray as the coronavirus pandemic decimates the world economy.
Image: https://www.nytimes.com
