OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia cut crude output by more than 320,000 barrels per day (bpd) Saturday, in line with the cartel's decision to reduce production by one million bpd from September 1, a Saudi oil official said. "We have cut our production to bring us in line with our new quota and we have informed our clients of this," the official, asking not to be named, told AFP.
Following the decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to slash output to bolster flagging prices, Saudi Arabia's quota was cut by 324,000 bpd to 7.541 million bpd from 7.865 million bpd.
Other OPEC member states "will respect their new quotas, despite claims that OPEC produced a surplus of 500,000 bpd over its August quota," fixed at 24.201 million bpd, added the official, whose country is the world's largest producer and exporter of oil.
The Saudi-owned newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on Saturday quoted a Saudi oil ministry official as saying that the cut was instigated because of the "world recession which had negative repercussions on the oil market."
"Recession and instability in the levels of crude demand necessitated restrictions in the supply of crude on the international market to preserve oil prices," he said. A barrel of benchmark Brent North Sea crude for October delivery was selling in London on Friday for $26.27 from $25.80 a week earlier. In New York, the light sweet crude October contract was little changed at $26.65 a barrel from $26.80 a week earlier. — (AFP, Riyadh)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
