OPEC+ maintained its oil output policy as the price of crude hit its highest in almost a year, a sign that deep supply cuts are draining inventories despite an uncertain outlook for demand recovery

OPEC+ expects deep output cuts will keep the global oil market in deficit throughout the year, even though the producer group has revised down 2021 demand growth

The 13-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is pumping 25.75 million barrels per day in January, the survey found, up 160,000 bpd from December and a further increase from a three-decade low reached in June

US crude oil stocks fell, but fuel inventories were higher in the most recent week, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed

OPEC+ compliance with pledged oil output curbs is averaging 85% so far in January, tanker tracker Petro-Logistics said, suggesting the group had improved its adherence to pledged supply curbs

Saudi shipments to China in 2020 were rose 1.9% from a year earlier to 84.92 million tonnes, or about 1.69 million bpd, data from the General Administration of Chinese Customs showed

OPEC+ compliance with oil production cuts in December reached 99%, two sources from the producer group told Reuters. The figure is slightly below November’s 101%

OPEC’s secretary general said he was cautiously optimistic the oil market would recover this year from the slump in demand brought on by the coronavirus pandemic

Oil demand recovery will take a hit from a spike in new coronavirus cases before vaccine roll-outs and stimulus measures help in the second half of the year, International Energy Agency (IEA) said

The outlook for US shale oil is slightly more “optimistic” due to rising prices and output will recover further in the second half of 2021, OPEC said, in a sign its policy of cutting output is helping rivals pump more