OPEC+ oil output cut may be biggest since 2020

OPEC+ will consider an oil output cut of more than a million barrels per day (bpd) next week, OPEC sources said, in what would be the biggest move yet since the COVID-19 pandemic to address oil market weakness, Report informs referring to Reuters.

The meeting will take place on October 5 against the backdrop of falling oil prices and months of severe market volatility which prompted top OPEC+ producer, Saudi Arabia, to say the group could cut production.

OPEC+, which combines OPEC countries and allies such as Russia, has refused to raise output to lower oil prices despite pressure from major consumers, including the US, to help the global economy.

Prices have nevertheless fallen sharply in the last month due to fears about the global economy and a rally in the US dollar after the Federal Reserves raised rates.

Last week, a source familiar with the Russian thinking said Moscow would like to see OPEC+ cutting 1 million bpd or one percent of global supply.

That would be the biggest cut since 2020 when OPEC+ reduced output by a record 10 million bpd as demand crashed due to the COVID pandemic. The group spent the next two years unwinding those record cuts.

Analysts and OPEC watchers such as UBS and JP Morgan have suggested in recent days a cut of around 1 million bpd was on the cards and could help arrest the price decline.

"$90 oil is non-negotiable for the OPEC+ leadership, hence they will act to safeguard this price floor," said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM.