Times of Oman

The Organisati­on of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced its Opeconly agreement on Friday, but gave no clear output targets.

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Opec meets Russia and other allies on Saturday to clinch a new deal raising oil output, a day after agreeing a production hike within the group itself but confusing the market as to how much more oil it will pump.

The Organisati­on of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) announced its Opec-only agreement on Friday, but gave no clear output targets. Russia and other non-Opec oil producers will now meet Opec in a bid to secure their participat­ion in the pact.

Benchmark Brent oil rose by $2.5 or 3.4 per cent on Friday to $75.55 a barrel.

US President Donald Trump was among those wondering how much more oil Opec will deliver.

“Hope Opec will increase output substantia­lly. Need to keep prices down!” Trump wrote on Twitter after Opec announced its decision.

The United States, China and India had urged oil producers to

release more supply to prevent an oil deficit that could undermine global economic growth.

Opec said in a statement that it would raise supply by returning to 100 per cent compliance with previously agreed output cuts, but gave no concrete figures.

Saudi Arabia said the move would translate into a nominal output rise of around one million barrels per day (bpd), or one per cent of global supply, for Opec and non-Opec producers.

Iraq said the real increase would be around 770,000bpd because several countries that had suffered production declines would struggle to reach full quotas. Iran said the real increase could amount to as little as 500,000bpd.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Saturday he was happy with the decision even though he had previously pushed Opec and non-Opec to raise output by as much as 1.5 million bpd.

“At this stage the one million is

quite rational,” he told reporters after arriving in Vienna, where Opec is headquarte­red.

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