OPEC+ Cuts Can’t Last Forever, Russia’s Energy Minister Says - Bloomberg

OPEC+ Cuts Can’t Last Forever, Russia’s Energy Minister Says - Bloomberg:

OPEC+ output cuts have stabilized the global oil market but can’t last forever, Russia said as uncertainty persists over the future of the agreement beyond March. 


“Oil-production cuts can’t be eternal; we will gradually need to make a decision on exiting” the accord, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with state television channel Rossiya24. As one of the architects of the OPEC+ deal, Russia’s view is key, though the nation’s oil producers have long pushed for a relaxation of output curbs.

Russia needs to defend its market share and let its oil companies develop new projects, Novak said. The minister didn’t specify when the country may decide to withdraw from the agreement, but said he expects to discuss the matter with his OPEC+ counterparts next year. Global oil demand may surge as soon as next summer, he said.

Russia, which helped to cement the original deal between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners back in 2016, has shown this year that it’s getting weary of limiting supply. The nation has consistently failed to comply with its quota, overshooting its target for eight months so far in 2019, according to Bloomb