Russia blames missed oil target on rise in gas condensate output

Output falls but remains above global production cap as minister vows country will work to fulfill its obligations

Russia produced more oil in September than envisaged by a global deal due to an increase in gas condensate output as the country prepared for winter, local news agencies reported on Sunday.

Russian oil output edged down to 11.25 million barrels per day (bpd) last month from August’s 11.29 million bpd, but remained above the cap set under the global production deal.

Under the accord reached between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers, Russia has agreed to reduce output by 228,000 bpd from an October 2018 baseline.

Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said the reduction totaled 200,000 bpd last month. He reiterated that the country would strive to fulfil its obligations this month in full.

“We had specific obligations related, among other factors, to dealing with the winter period, with the production of gas condensate,” TASS news agency quoted Novak as saying.

Output of gas condensate, a light oil, is included in Russian statistics on total oil production. OPEC, Russia and other oil producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, agreed in December to reduce supply by 1.2 million bpd from the start of this year.

OPEC and its allies will meet on Dec. 5-6 in Vienna to review output policy.

Market participants believe the group known as OPEC+ could decide to extend production cuts “and wait until world demand catches up with the supply situation,” Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston said last week.

OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo has said deeper output cuts are an option and that OPEC would do what it could with allied producers to sustain oil market stability beyond 2020.

OPEC, Russia and other producers have agreed to cut oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day until March 2020.