Saudi Arabia to Sustain the Current Supply Cut on Crude Oil till December

OPEC+ leaders, Saudi Arabia and Russia, have announced the extension of their voluntary crude oil supply reductions, initially set for July, until the end of 2023. The Saudi energy ministry confirmed that its voluntary reduction of 1 million barrels per day (b/d), which began in July and continued through August and September, would persist until December 2023. Concurrently, Russia has committed to extending its 300,000 b/d reduction in crude exports for the same period.

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Following these announcements, front-month Ice Brent futures prices surged by over $2 per barrel, surpassing $90.50/bl, marking its highest since mid-November 2022.

Saudi Arabia's decision marks its third extension of the 1mn b/d reduction since its initial announcement post the OPEC+ meeting in early June. Contrarily, Russia's cut commenced in August at 500,000 b/d, later adjusted to 300,000 b/d for September. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Alexander Novak, stated that these cuts take their reference from the months of May-June. Additionally, Moscow has promised to decrease production by 500,000 b/d from March 2024 onwards.

The Saudi energy ministry highlighted that the sustained reduction aligns with the OPEC+ nations' strategic efforts to uphold the equilibrium and stability of oil markets, echoed by a similar statement from Russia. Riyadh had previously mentioned the potential to either "extend or deepen" the cut as deemed essential. This sentiment was reiterated recently, emphasizing a monthly review to determine the necessity of intensifying or relaxing these reductions.

With this extension, Saudi Arabia's crude output will remain approximately at 9mn b/d for the rest of the year. Prior to this voluntary cut in July, such output levels were last observed in June 2021. Furthermore, this unilateral 1mn b/d reduction supplements Saudi's pledge in May to reduce by 500,000 b/d, following the co-ordinated 1.6mn b/d cut by eight OPEC+ members in April. OPEC+ resolved in June to uphold these reductions until 2024's end.

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According to the article by Procurement Resource, Saudi Arabia and Russia have announced the sustenance of its supply restriction on crude oil. The Energy Minister of Saudi Arabia has further corroborated the announcement and formalized the restriction till December 2023, which commenced on July 2023. The minister further pressed on the crucial need of maintaining an equilibrium in the oil market aligning with the Russian agenda as well.