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OPEC+ keeps output policy steady as oil nears $90 a barrel

A conference of top OPEC+ ministers kept oil supply policy the same and pushed some countries to increase compliance with output cuts, a. choice that spurred global crude rates to their. highest in 5 months at nearly $90 a barrel.

A ministerial committee (JMMC) of the Company of the. Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, known as. OPEC+, met online on Wednesday to review the marketplace and members'. application of output cuts.

The JMMC combines leading OPEC+ producers including. Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Oil has rallied this year, driven by tighter supply, attacks. on Russian energy infrastructure and war in the Middle East. Brent crude settled on Wednesday at its greatest level. given that October at $89.35 a barrel.

OPEC+ decided to stick to oil supply cuts for the very first. half of the year, keeping global markets tight and potentially. sending rates higher, said Saxo Bank's Ole Hansen.

OPEC+ members, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, last month. consented to extend voluntary output cuts of 2.2 million barrels. per day (bpd) until completion of June to support the market.

In a statement following Wednesday's conference, OPEC+ said. some countries had assured to enhance their adherence to. targets.

The panel invited pledges from Iraq and Kazakhstan to. achieve full conformity along with to make up for. overproduction, and Russia's statement that its cuts in the. second quarter will be based on production not exports, the. declaration stated.

Getting involved nations with exceptional overproduced. volumes for the months of January, February and March 2024 will. submit their comprehensive compensation plans to the OPEC Secretariat. by 30 April 2024, the statement said.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated on. Wednesday Russia remained in full compliance with its commitments to. decrease oil materials as part of the OPEC+ deal.

Information from S&P Product Insights, known as Platts, revealed. the group overproduced by a net 275,000 bpd in January and by. 175,000 bpd in February. Platts is one of the secondary sources. utilized by OPEC+ to evaluate its members' production.

Gabon, Iraq and Kazakhstan were the main members that. produced above their quotas for the two months, the survey stated.

Iraq last month assured to lower exports to offset. pumping above its OPEC target, a promise that would cut shipments. by 130,000 bpd from February.

When the voluntary curbs expire at the end of June, the. total cuts by OPEC+ are set to decline to 3.66 million bpd as. agreed in earlier actions starting in 2022.

The panel scheduled its next conference for June 1, the exact same. day as the next complete OPEC+ satisfying to decide policy.

(source: Reuters)