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OPEC+ will increase oil production by 547,000 barrels per day in September after eight members of the organisation held a brief virtual meeting on Sunday. They said the company will continue to accelerate its output hikes to regain market share.
The decision comes amid growing concerns about supply disruptions linked to Russia.
This move fully reverses the group’s largest previous output cuts and adds to a separate increase from the United Arab Emirates, together totaling about 2.5 million barrels per day, roughly 2.4% of global demand.
The decision comes during intensified U.S. efforts to pressure India into stopping Russian oil imports, part of Washington’s strategy to push Moscow toward peace talks over Ukraine, with President Donald Trump aiming for progress by 8 August.
OPEC+ cited strong economic conditions and low inventory levels as key reasons for boosting supply. Despite increased production, oil prices remain high, with Brent crude closing near $70 a barrel on Friday, up from a low of about $58 in April. Rising seasonal demand also supports prices.
Energy analyst Amrita Sen said strong prices and tight supplies have boosted OPEC+’s confidence in raising output. The group will meet again on 7 September to possibly revisit 1.65 million bpd in cuts set to last through 2026.
UBS’s Giovanni Staunovo highlighted that markets have absorbed the increased supply well, partly due to stockpiling in China.
"So far the market has been able to absorb very well those additional barrels also due to stockpiliing activity in China," said Giovanni Staunovo of UBS. "All eyes will now shift on the Trump decision on Russia this Friday."
In addition to the voluntary 1.65 million bpd cut by the eight members, OPEC+ maintains a 2 million bpd cut across all members, which expires at the end of 2026.
Former OPEC official Jorge Leon praised the coalition for fully reversing its largest cut without causing price crashes but cautioned that managing the remaining cuts.
"But the next task will be even harder; deciding if and when to unwind the remaining 1.66 million barrels, all while navigating geopolitical tension and preserving cohesion."
President Trump has issued a warning to the international community, claiming a nuclear-armed Iran would strike Israel "very quickly" before targeting Europe and the United States.
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement released on Saturday (2 May). He warned that Kyiv is ready to respond if necessary amid continued regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing attention to the country’s chronic sleep deprivation.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the European Union to 25% next week, up from the 15% level agreed last year, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with its trade commitments.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC+ on 1 May has put renewed focus on one of the most influential groups in global energy - and how its decisions can shape oil prices worldwide.
The United Arab Emirates has said it's quitting OPEC from 1 May, dealing a major blow to the oil producers’ group and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, amid disruption caused by the Iran war.
As the Iran war disrupts global flows of oil and gas and energy prices skyrocket, the Drin River, which descends through the mountains of northern Albania, is acting as a kind of shield.
China has ordered Meta to unwind its more than $2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence start-up Manus, marking a major escalation in Beijing’s scrutiny of foreign investment in sensitive technology sectors. The order was issued on Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission.
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