OPEC+ Says Additional Voluntary Oil Production Cuts Will Be 1.66 Mln Bpd

The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. (Reuters)
The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. (Reuters)
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OPEC+ Says Additional Voluntary Oil Production Cuts Will Be 1.66 Mln Bpd

The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. (Reuters)
The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. (Reuters)

The 48th Meeting of OPEC’s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) was held via videoconference on Monday.

The Committee reviewed the crude oil production data for January and February 2023 and noted the overall conformity for participating OPEC and non-OPEC countries of the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC).

The Members of the JMMC reaffirmed their commitment to the DoC which extends to the end of 2023 as decided at the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting on October 5, 2022, and urged all participating countries to achieve full conformity and adhere to the compensation mechanism.

The meeting noted the following voluntarily production adjustment announced on Sunday by Saudi Arabia (500,000 bpd); Iraq (211,000 bpd); United Arab Emirates (144,000 bpd); Kuwait (128,000 bpd); Kazakhstan (78,000 bpd); Algeria (48,000 bpd); Oman (40,000 bpd); and Gabon (8,000 bpd) starting May until the end of 2023. These will be in addition to the production adjustments decided at the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting.

The above will be in addition to the announced voluntary adjustment by Russia of 500,000 bpd until the end of 2023, which will be from the average production levels as assessed by the secondary sources for February 2023.

Accordingly, this will bring the total additional voluntary production adjustments by the above-mentioned countries to 1.66 million bpd.

The meeting noted that this is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

The next meeting of the JMMC is scheduled for June 4.



Gold Prices Climb on Safe-Haven Demand; US Payrolls Data in Focus

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
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Gold Prices Climb on Safe-Haven Demand; US Payrolls Data in Focus

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)

Gold prices climbed on Friday, supported by safe-haven demand arising from the Middle East conflict, while spotlight shifted towards US payrolls report to gauge the trajectory of the Federal Reserve's policy path.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $2,662.50 per ounce, as of 0325 GMT, after climbing to an all-time high of $2,685.42 on Sept. 26. Bullion has gained 0.2 for the week.
US gold futures edged 0.1% higher to $2,682.10.
The dollar eased 0.1%, pulling back from over a one-month high, making greenback-priced bullion less expensive for other currency holders, reported Reuters.
Geopolitical tensions, particularly concerning Israel and Iran, are supporting gold prices and unless these risks subside, prices are likely to remain near record levels, said Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities, Mumbai.
The US is discussing strikes on Iran's oil facilities as retaliation for Tehran's missile attack on Israel, President Joe Biden said, while Israel's military hit Beirut with new air strikes in its battle against Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Bullion is considered a safe investment during times of political and financial uncertainty, and thrives in a low-rate environment.
The US nonfarm payroll data is due at 1230 GMT. New York Fed President John Williams and Chicago Fed President Austan are also scheduled to speak later in the day.
If the NFP report comes in strong, it will be positive for the dollar and then gold prices will see some profit-booking, Kedia added.
Traders see a 69% chance of a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut in November, according to CME FedWatch Tool.
BMI said in a note it expects gold prices to trade within the range of $2,500 to $2,800 in the coming months.
Spot silver rose 0.4% to $32.17 per ounce and has gained about 1.8% so far this week.
Platinum climbed 1.1% to $1,001.79 and palladium advanced 1.4% to $1,013.46.