Most oil producers want extension of output cuts

Brent crude was up 7 cents, or 0.14 percent, at $51.81 per barrel at 8.21 p.m. ET, after closing the previous session down 7 cents at $51.74. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was up 11 cents, or 0.23 percent, at $48.86 a barrel.

DUBAI: Most oil producers support an extension of output cuts by OPEC and non-OPEC countries, and Iran would also back such a move, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying.

"(Zanganeh) stressed that most countries want OPEC's decision to be extended," the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.

"Iran also supports such a decision and if others comply, so would Iran," Zanganeh told reporters late on Saturday, according to ISNA.

The market has been oversupplied since mid-2014, prompting members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and some non-OPEC producers to agree to cut output in the first six months of 2017.

OPEC meets on May 25 to consider extending the cuts beyond June. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and most other OPEC members are leaning towards this if agreement is reached with other producers, OPEC sources told Reuters last month. - Reuters