# Commodity Insights MCP > S&P Global Commodity Insights provides access to over 12,000 daily price assessments across global commodities. Track everything from WTI crude oil and natural gas benchmarks (Henry Hub, TTF) to power prices in PJM/ERCOT, agricultural goods like corn and wheat, and metals such as copper and gold. This MCP is the market intelligence source for energy traders, risk managers, and commodity analysts. ## Overview - **Category:** industry-titans - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** commodity-pricing, market-intelligence, benchmarks, trading-data, energy-markets, financial-data ## Description This connector brings professional-grade global commodity data directly into your AI client. You can access world-class price assessments from Platts, tracking everything needed to understand current market dynamics—from crude oil grades like Brent and WTI to regional electric power benchmarks in Europe or the US. It lets you monitor complex feedstock prices for petrochemicals, track base metals (copper, aluminum), or analyze agricultural yields across major crops. You can even fetch historical data spanning years, which is critical for backtesting trading strategies. Connecting this MCP via Vinkius gives your agent immediate access to an industry-standard library of benchmarks and market methodologies. Your AI client becomes a comprehensive commodity analyst, letting you track input costs, model price spreads, and make truly data-driven decisions without leaving your chat window. ## Tools ### get_agriculture_prices Gets current and historical price assessments for key crops, including wheat, corn, soybeans, and fertilizers. ### get_assessment_methodology Retrieves the official rules and specifications on how a specific commodity price benchmark is calculated. ### list_commodity_categories Lists every major category of commodities covered by S&P Global Platts, helping you explore available benchmarks. ### get_coal_prices Provides price assessments for various coal types and regional benchmarks, like Newcastle and API2. ### get_crude_oil_prices Delivers spot and forward pricing for major crude grades globally, including WTI and Brent. ### get_energy_transition_data Accesses market data on carbon credits (EUA), battery metals, and renewable energy certificates. ### get_historical_commodity_prices Fetches detailed price history for any commodity over a user-defined period with flexible frequency options. ### get_metals_prices Provides current and historical pricing assessments for base metals like copper, aluminum, and precious metals like gold. ### get_natural_gas_prices Tracks gas prices from major global hubs such as Henry Hub and TTF across different regions. ### get_petrochemicals_prices Gathers pricing assessments for chemical feedstocks, including ethylene, propylene, and benzene. ### get_power_prices Queries wholesale electricity prices from major regional power grids in North America and Europe (PJM, ERCOT). ### get_refined_products_prices Tracks the costs of refined petroleum products like diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel globally. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` What is the current WTI crude oil price? ``` **Response:** ``` Fetching latest WTI Cushing crude assessment... Current WTI is assessed at $78.45/bbl for today's session. The benchmark has been relatively stable this week, trading in a $77-79/bbl range. Market participants are monitoring OPEC+ production decisions and US inventory levels. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me natural gas prices at Henry Hub and TTF for today. ``` **Response:** ``` Retrieving gas hub assessments... Henry Hub (US) is currently assessed at $2.85/MMBtu, while TTF (Netherlands) is trading at €28.50/MWh (approximately $8.90/MMBtu). The spread between US and European gas remains elevated due to strong Asian LNG demand and European storage dynamics. ``` **Prompt:** ``` What are current carbon credit prices (EUA)? ``` **Response:** ``` Fetching EU Allowance (EUA) carbon credit assessment... Current EUA price is €68.50/tonne CO2. Carbon prices have been volatile this month, ranging between €65-72/tonne as markets digest EU energy policy updates and industrial demand forecasts. The UK ETS is trading at a slight discount at £45.20/tonne. ``` ## Capabilities ### Get current global prices Retrieve the latest daily assessments for specific commodities like crude oil, natural gas hubs, or power markets. ### Monitor commodity categories Browse and understand all available price assessment types, including refined products, metals, and energy transition assets. ### Analyze historical trends Fetch time-series data for any specified commodity over custom date ranges (weekly, monthly, or daily). ### Investigate market methodologies Retrieve the official calculation rules and specifications used by S&P Global Platts for specific benchmarks. ### Track energy transition markets Access data on carbon credits, battery metals (lithium, cobalt), and renewable energy certificates. ## Use Cases ### Analyzing Oil Market Spreads A trader needs to know if there's an arbitrage opportunity. They ask their agent for a comparison between the current WTI crude oil price and the regional power prices in the US, instantly getting both sets of data. ### Forecasting Fertilizer Costs A farm supplier is budgeting for next season's inputs. They use get_agriculture_prices to check current wheat and corn assessments, then cross-reference it with the fertilizer prices using get_refined_products_prices. ### Due Diligence on Investments An investment professional needs to assess a company's energy exposure. They request both historical natural gas price data and current EUA carbon credit assessments for their due diligence report. ## Benefits - Instant Market Comparison: You can instantly compare prices across different physical assets. For example, ask for the current assessment of both WTI crude oil and regional natural gas hubs in a single query. - Deep Historical Analysis: Forget relying on limited spreadsheet data. Use get_historical_commodity_prices to pull price trends for any commodity over months or years, perfect for backtesting models. - Full Supply Chain Visibility: Track input costs across multiple sectors—from petrochemical feedstocks (ethylene) to refined products (diesel)—to model total project expenses accurately. - Energy Transition Reporting: Quickly gather necessary data points like EUA carbon credit prices and lithium assessments needed for comprehensive ESG compliance reporting. - Methodology Clarity: When a client asks about pricing, use get_assessment_methodology to provide the precise, industry-standard calculation rules behind any benchmark. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get immediate access to institutional-grade commodity pricing data inside any compatible AI agent. 1. Subscribe to the MCP using your Vinkius account. 2. Input your S&P Global Commodity Insights API key into your AI client's settings. 3. Ask your agent a question, like 'What was the price of copper last quarter?' and let it execute the relevant tool call. ## Frequently Asked Questions **What commodity types and benchmarks are covered?** The API covers over 12,000 daily price assessments across: Crude Oil (WTI, Brent, Dubai, Mars, WCS + hundreds of grades), Natural Gas (Henry Hub, TTF, NBP, JKM), Electric Power (PJM, ERCOT, CAISO, European markets), Coal (Newcastle, API2, API4), Refined Products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel), Petrochemicals (ethylene, propylene, benzene), Metals (copper, aluminum, gold, steel), Agriculture (wheat, corn, soybeans, fertilizers), and Energy Transition (carbon credits, battery metals, RECs). **How do I get an S&P Global Commodity Insights API key?** API access requires an active S&P Global Commodity Insights subscription. Contact your S&P Global account manager or visit https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights to discuss licensing options. Once licensed, you'll receive API credentials through your SSO (Single Sign-On) account. The authentication uses Bearer tokens generated via the /auth/api endpoint with your SSO email and password. **Are the prices real-time or delayed?** S&P Global Platts price assessments are published daily based on market activity. Most assessments reflect same-day or next-day values depending on the commodity and market. Some benchmarks (especially power markets) may have intra-day updates. Historical data is available for backtesting and trend analysis with flexible date range queries. The exact publication timing varies by commodity — crude oil and gas benchmarks are typically available by end of trading day. **Can I query historical prices for trend analysis?** Yes! Use the `get_historical_commodity_prices` tool with a specific commodity identifier, start date, and optional end date. You can query daily, weekly, or monthly aggregated data. For example, to get WTI crude prices for the last 30 days, use commodity='crude-oil', start_date='2026-03-08'. The API provides extensive historical data suitable for backtesting, trend analysis, and market research.