OPEC+ likely to stick to oil output policy from September, with modest increase

OPEC+ is likely to keep its oil output policy unchanged when the group meets on Wednesday and continue with its planned modest production increase, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, collectively known as OPEC+, will meet on Sept. 1 to discuss the previously agreed increase of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) for the next several months.

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US President Joe Biden’s administration has urged OPEC and its allies to boost oil output to tackle rising gasoline prices that it views as a threat to the global economic recovery.

On Monday, Brent was down 16 cents or 0.2 percent at $72.54 a barrel by 0654 GMT. It rose more than 11 percent last week in anticipation of disruptions to oil production from Hurricane Ida.

But the OPEC+ sources said the recent rise in oil prices was temporary, driven mainly by disruption of supply in Mexico and the severe storm hitting the US Gulf Coast over the weekend.

“Current oil prices around $70 are okay. OPEC+ is likely to continue as planned with the increase of 400,000 bpd,” said one source.

Another OPEC+ said it was “very likely” that the 400,000 bpd increase would go ahead from September.

Kuwait oil minister Mohammad al-Fares on Sunday told Reuters that this week OPEC+ would discuss whether it would continue with its planned increase or reconsider it and halt the rise adding that economies of East Asian countries and China were still affected by COVID-19 and caution should be exercised.

He later told state news agency KUNA that Kuwait supports any decision taken by OPEC+ ministers based on consensus.

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