Saudi Energy Minister Says OPEC+ Has Done a Lot to Stabilize Global Energy Markets

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. (SPA)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. (SPA)
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Saudi Energy Minister Says OPEC+ Has Done a Lot to Stabilize Global Energy Markets

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. (SPA)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. (SPA)

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, referred to as OPEC+, have "done a lot" to stabilize global energy markets.

Speaking about energy security at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit at Expo 2020 in Dubai, the minister added: "We believe we as OPEC Plus have done a lot in bringing about stability."

The minister made it clear that it is the prerogative of the US government whether to release supply from the strategic petroleum reserves.

Last November, the US administration released 50 million barrels of crude from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help cool oil prices in cooperation with other countries such as China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Britain.

"This is a matter for the American government," the Saudi minister told reporters in Dubai in response to a question about whether the United States could pump more oil from its reserves, given the price hike.

Reuters reported that China would release crude oil from its national strategic stockpiles around the Lunar New Year holidays that start on February 1 as part of a plan coordinated by the US with other major consumers to reduce global prices.

Oil prices rose on Monday, with Brent crude futures at their highest in more than three years, as investors bet supply will remain tight amid restrained output by major producers with global demand unperturbed by the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Brent crude futures gained 42 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $86.48 a barrel. The contract touched its highest since October 2018, $86.71 earlier in the session.

US West, Texas Intermediate crude, was up 62 cents, or 0.7 percent, at $84.44 a barrel, after hitting $84.78, the highest since November 10, 2021, earlier in the session.

The gains followed a rally last week when Brent rose 5.4 percent, and WTI climbed 6.3 percent.

Traders said that frantic oil buying, driven by supply outages and signs the Omicron variant won't be as disruptive as feared for fuel demand, has pushed some crude grades to multi-year highs, suggesting the rally in Brent futures could be sustained a while longer.

OPEC+ are gradually relaxing output cuts implemented when demand collapsed in 2020.

However, many small producers cannot increase supplies, and others are concerned about pumping too much oil in case of renewed COVID-19 setbacks.

On Friday, US officials voiced fears that Russia was preparing to attack Ukraine if diplomacy failed. Russia, which is massing about 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, released pictures of its forces' movement.

Two US officials and two energy sources told Reuters on Friday that the US government held talks with several international energy companies about contingency plans to supply natural gas to Europe if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine disrupted Russian supplies.

US crude oil stockpiles fell more than expected to their lowest levels since October 2018, but gasoline inventories surged with weak demand, according to the US Energy Information Administration data.



IMF Eyes Revised Global Forecast, but Warns Trade Tensions Still Cloud Outlook

A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.
A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.
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IMF Eyes Revised Global Forecast, but Warns Trade Tensions Still Cloud Outlook

A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.
A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.

The International Monetary Fund warned on Friday that risks related to trade tensions continue to cloud the global economic outlook and uncertainty remains high despite some increased trade and improved financial conditions.

IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said the fund would update its global forecast later in July given "front-loading ahead of tariff increases and some trade diversion," along with improved financial conditions and signs of continued declines in inflation.

In April the IMF slashed its growth forecasts for the United States, China and most countries, citing the impact of US tariffs on imports now at 100-year highs and warning that rising trade tensions would further slow growth.

At the time, it cut its forecast for global growth by 0.5 percentage points to 2.8% for 2025, and by 0.3 percentage points to 3%. Economists expect a slight upward revision when the IMF releases an updated forecast in late July.

According to Reuters, Gopinath told finance officials from the Group of 20 major economies who met this week in South Africa that trade tensions continued to complicate the economic outlook.

"While we will update our global forecast at the end of July, downside risks continue to dominate the outlook and uncertainty remains high," she said, in a text of her remarks.

She urged countries to resolve trade tensions and implement policy changes to address underlying domestic imbalances, including scaling back fiscal outlays and putting debt on a sustainable path.

Gopinath also underscored the need for monetary policy officials to carefully calibrate their decisions to specific circumstances in their countries, and stressed the need to protect central bank independence. This was a key theme in the G20 communique released by finance officials.

Gopinath said capital flows to emerging markets and developing economies remained sluggish, but resilient, in the face of increased policy uncertainty and market volatility. For many borrowers, financing conditions remained tight.

For countries with unsustainable debt, proactive moves were essential, Gopinath said, repeating the IMF's call for timely and efficient debt restructuring mechanisms.

More work was needed on that issue, including allowing middle-income countries to access the G20's Common Framework for Debt Restructuring, she said.