The OPEC+ alliance aims for price stability in the oil market, not endless increases, and so far, it is achieving this, said Russian President Vladimir Putin

Saudi Arabia’s decision to postpone plans to expand oil capacity should not be interpreted as an assessment that crude demand is falling, the OPEC secretary-general said

Saudi Arabia praised the countries inside and outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for their unity and commitment to the stability of the oil market through the “Declaration of Cooperation” signed in December, according to a cabinet statement

OPEC oil output rose in December, as increases in Iraq, Angola and Nigeria offset ongoing cuts by Saudi Arabia and other members of the wider OPEC+ alliance in support of the market

OPEC+ plans to hold a meeting of its Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in early February, though an exact date has not been decided

This trend implies that the group may encounter challenges in easing production cuts unless there is a significant acceleration in global oil demand or OPEC is willing to accept lower prices

OPEC said it remains cautiously optimistic about the fundamentals of the oil market for 2024 and blamed ‘exaggerated concerns’ about demand for the recent price drop, while sticking to its relatively high prediction of crude consumption for next year

OPEC’s oil production fell in November, marking the first monthly decline since July, according to a Reuters survey, due to lower shipments from Nigeria and Iraq amid ongoing cuts by Saudi Arabia and other members

The oil production cuts by OPEC+ can “absolutely” continue beyond the first quarter of 2024 if necessary, said Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman

OPEC+ members reached an agreement to voluntarily cut their oil production by around 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) at the beginning of next year, led by Saudi Arabia, which will extend its current voluntary reduction