Saudi output cuts help drive up one corner of global oil market

“The kingdom’s curbs have had an outsized impact on the supply of medium and heavy-sour barrels,” said Mark Rossano, a partner at energy data provider Primary Vision Network. — Reuters

HOUSTON: Prices for sour crude oil have climbed globally this month after top exporter Saudi Arabia hiked prices and expanded production cuts of higher-sulfur oil, the first sign its efforts to prop up global prices are having an impact.

The de facto leader of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) this month deepened its production cuts to one million barrels per day in response to benchmark prices that fell below US$72 (RM335) a barrel this summer.