OPEC stresses importance of crude oil production freeze

The Orgaisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has said that the agreement by member countries to settle for out put freeze underlines the organisation’s continued commitment to a ‘sustainable stability’ in oil markets.
 
This it said would be for the mutual interests of producing nations, efficient and secure supplies to consumers and with a fair return on invested capital for all producers.
 
Speaking at the G-24 Ministerial Meeting, Washington D.C., United States of America, OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, disclosed that the conference decision to opt for an OPEC-14 production target ranging between 32.5 and 33 million barrels a day, was focused on the need to accelerate the ongoing drawdown of the stock overhang and bring the rebalancing forward. 

Barkindo noted that  “decision was also taken following a thorough review and analysis of the global economic outlook, specifically the weaker than desired global growth and the economic uncertainties.


 
This, he said. includes the already mentioned sharp decline in oil investments, which has had a considerable negative impact on the energy sector of many major economies, the role of main central banks on monetary policies, weakening world trade, and political developments, including upcoming elections in a number of major countries.
  


”At OPEC, we fully appreciate the significant role that oil and other commodity markets play in the global economic landscape, and the expanding share of global GDP attributed to emerging economies and commodity exporting countries.

Stability in commodity markets is vital for future global economic growth prospects.



“OPEC’s agreement in Algiers will help return stability to the global oil market, and lessen volatility.  “Moreover, it is important to underline that things have progressed further over the past week.

Consultations remain ongoing among the OPEC-14, the High Level Committee initiated by the OPEC Conference is moving forward on the implementation of the Algiers decision, and steps are being taken to further develop a framework for high-level consultations between OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries,” he added.