AFP, London :
The OPEC oil producers cartel will hold one of its toughest and most significant meetings in recent years as, faced with sliding prices, its members must contemplate whether to cut output.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna, home to the cartel’s headquarters, its dozen member countries are split on what direction to take after a 30 percent drop in crude prices since June has slashed revenues. OPEC’s poorer members, led by Venezuela and Ecuador, have called publicly for a cut in output, while Iran has hinted at a need to reduce production.
But the cartel’s Gulf members, led by kingpin Saudi Arabia, are rejecting calls to pump out less oil unless they are guaranteed market share in the highly competitive arena, according to analysts. Separately, Russia-which is not a member of OPEC but is nevertheless a major crude producer-declared Friday that it was considering cutting its oil production in a bid to revive falling prices.
OPEC produces about one third of global crude at more than 30 million barrels per day.
According to the International Energy Agency, which advises on energy policy, OPEC pumped out 30.6 million barrels per day in October-above its 30 million bpd target.
The OPEC oil producers cartel will hold one of its toughest and most significant meetings in recent years as, faced with sliding prices, its members must contemplate whether to cut output.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna, home to the cartel’s headquarters, its dozen member countries are split on what direction to take after a 30 percent drop in crude prices since June has slashed revenues. OPEC’s poorer members, led by Venezuela and Ecuador, have called publicly for a cut in output, while Iran has hinted at a need to reduce production.
But the cartel’s Gulf members, led by kingpin Saudi Arabia, are rejecting calls to pump out less oil unless they are guaranteed market share in the highly competitive arena, according to analysts. Separately, Russia-which is not a member of OPEC but is nevertheless a major crude producer-declared Friday that it was considering cutting its oil production in a bid to revive falling prices.
OPEC produces about one third of global crude at more than 30 million barrels per day.
According to the International Energy Agency, which advises on energy policy, OPEC pumped out 30.6 million barrels per day in October-above its 30 million bpd target.
