Oil Producers to Discuss Fair Deal on Output Cut

Business

April 4th, 5:44am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

An OPEC+ meeting is reportedly planned for April 6 and will be held as a video conference. Reuters

OPEC and its allies are working on a deal for an unprecedented oil production cut equivalent to around 10 percent of worldwide supply, an OPEC source said. US President Donald Trump called on Thursday for action to stop the sharp fall in oil prices due to the coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Arabia also called for an emergency meeting of OPEC and other oil producers, a grouping known as OPEC+, to stabilize the oil market. The energy ministry of non-OPEC producer Azerbaijan, meanwhile, said the OPEC+ meeting is planned for April 6 and will be held as a video conference. Trump said he spoke with both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. He said Saudi Arabia and Russia could cut output by 10 to 15 million barrels per day (bpd) - an unprecedented amount representing 10 to 15 percent of global supply. But Trump stressed he did not make any concessions to a US domestic production cut - a move forbidden by US antitrust legislation. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday that the US administration cannot dictate decisions on oil production to American companies. “I think... oil companies, seeing a decline in price are going to pull back on production. That’s just common sense,” he added. “The US needs to contribute from shale oil,” an OPEC source said. Russia has long expressed frustration that its joint cuts with OPEC were only lending support to higher-cost US shale producers. Two OPEC sources said a deal on reducing production must include producers from outside OPEC+.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2215746/oil-producers-discuss-fair-deal-output-cut