Iraqi Oil Output was Below OPEC+ Quota in September, Says Gov't Official

A drone view shows flames emerging from flare stacks at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, in Basra, Iraq June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty/File Photo
A drone view shows flames emerging from flare stacks at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, in Basra, Iraq June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty/File Photo
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Iraqi Oil Output was Below OPEC+ Quota in September, Says Gov't Official

A drone view shows flames emerging from flare stacks at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, in Basra, Iraq June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty/File Photo
A drone view shows flames emerging from flare stacks at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, in Basra, Iraq June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty/File Photo

Iraq produced 3.94 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil in September, less than its OPEC+ output quota of about 4 million bpd, an Iraqi official said on Saturday, as the country seeks to boost its compliance with the target.

The production figure given by the official, who asked not to be named, contradicts the findings of a Reuters survey published on Oct. 3, which found Iraq had pumped 90,000 bpd more than the quota in September.

Asked about the survey's findings, the official said production had come in below the quota due to lower exports, reduced domestic consumption and a decline in output from the Kurdistan Region.

Iraq planned to reduce it oil output to between 3.85 million and 3.9 million bpd in September as part of a plan to compensate for producing over its quota, a source told Reuters last month.

Iraq, Kazakhstan and Russia said earlier this month that they had delivered on their promised cuts in September.



Gold Gains as Dollar off 2-month Highs on Fed Rate Cut Expectations

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
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Gold Gains as Dollar off 2-month Highs on Fed Rate Cut Expectations

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold extended gains after the release of the latest data on US producer prices on Friday, as the US dollar pulled back from two-month highs on heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in November.

Spot gold rose 0.7% to $2,647.55 per ounce by 1316 GMT. US gold futures gained about 1% to $2,665.

US producer prices were unchanged in September, pointing to a still-favorable inflation outlook and supporting views that the Fed would cut interest rates again next month.

"After stronger-than-expected US jobs data and higher-than-expected inflation data, the market is a bit split on how many rate cuts we will see from the Fed over the coming months," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said, Reuters reported.

Data on Thursday showed US consumer prices rose slightly more than expected in September, but the annual increase in inflation was the smallest in more than 3-1/2 years.

Slowly cooling inflation and a US job market that remains strong but at the risk of deteriorating give a green light for more interest-rate cuts in coming months, Fed policymakers indicated on Thursday.

The CME FedWatch tool shows markets currently see an 84.4% chance of a 25-basis-point rate reduction in November and a 15.6% probability of the Fed keeping rates on hold.

"Gold prices are likely to stay volatile in the short term, but we look for higher prices as we look for further rate cuts by the Fed," Staunovo said.

Gold is on track for its second straight week of declines after prices retreated from a record high of $2,685.42 hit last month.

Physical gold dealers in India charged premiums for the first time in two months this week as the upcoming festival season attracted some jewellery buying.

Spot silver rose 0.7% to $31.41 per ounce and platinum climbed 1.2% to $979.20. Both metals were headed for weekly declines.

Palladium firmed 0.2% at $1,071 and was up nearly 6% for the week.