Narrow range: The oil refinery of the Lukoil company in Volgograd, Russia. Prices rose last Friday to their highest since Aug 1, hitting levels above US$70 per barrel, following Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, which disrupted refining and shipments. — Reuters
LONDON: The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (Opec+) will likely approve another oil production increase of at least 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) at its meeting this Sunday, as rising oil prices encourage the group to try to further regain market share.
Opec+ has reversed its strategy of output cuts from April and has already raised quotas by more than 2.5 million bpd, representing about 2.4% of world demand, to boost market share and after coming under pressure from US President Donald Trump to lower oil prices.
Eight Opec+ countries will hold an online meeting on Oct 5 to decide on November output. Opec+ pumps about half of the world’s oil and includes OPEC plus Russia and other allies.
Opec headquarters and authorities in Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Oil prices have fallen from over US$80 per barrel at the start of the year but have mostly traded in a narrow range of US$60 to US$70 per barrel since Opec began production increases in April.
Last Friday, prices rose to their highest since Aug 1, hitting levels above US$70 per barrel, supported by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure which disrupted refining and shipments from one of the world’s biggest oil exporters.
The group’s total output reductions amounted at their peak to 5.85 million bpd, made up of three different elements: voluntary cuts of 2.2 million bpd, plus 1.65 million bpd by eight members and another two million bpd by the whole group.
The eight producers plan to fully unwind one element of those cuts – 2.2 million bpd – by the end of September.
For October, they started removing a second layer, of 1.65 million bpd, with an increase of 137,000 bpd.
Opec+ also gave the United Arab Emirates approval to boost production by 300,000 bpd between April and September.
The November increase to be discussed on Oct 5 will amount to at least 137,000 bpd, equal to the October hike, the three sources said. — Reuters
