OPEC+ agrees 4th straight oil output hike since Hormuz closure
A view shows the logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) outside its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, May 28, 2024. (Reuters Photo)


OPEC+ agreed on Sunday a fourth straight hike in its oil output targets in as ​many months, the organization said in a statement, ​even though ⁠the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is still stopping several of the group's members from pumping more.

The war has cut oil flows via the Strait of Hormuz, creating the world's biggest-ever supply crisis as key OPEC+ members including Saudi Arabia have been unable to supply customers in full since the end of February.

The crisis for OPEC+, a wider group of major oil producers, deepened when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) left the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) after almost 60 years.

Seven ⁠core ⁠members of OPEC+, which groups OPEC and allied producers including Russia, have increased their output quotas from April to June by almost 600,000 barrels per day (bpd).

In reality, the group's production has collapsed due to export cuts by Gulf members, averaging 33.19 million bpd in April compared with 42.77 million in February, according to OPEC figures.

On Sunday, the seven members decided to increase ⁠targets by 188,000 bpd from July, the statement said.

This is the same as the June hike, which was adjusted down from monthly increases of 206,000 bpd ​in May and April to take into account the UAE ​exit.

The seven of 21 OPEC+ members who met on Sunday are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Russia, and ⁠Oman.

‌In recent years, ‌only the seven plus the UAE when ⁠it was a member have been involved ‌in the group's output policy decisions.

Three other OPEC and OPEC+ meetings, including ​one of all OPEC+ ministers, ⁠were also scheduled for Sunday. The meeting ⁠of all OPEC+ ministers is not expected to make any changes ⁠to group-wide output policy, ​OPEC+ sources said earlier on Sunday.