Context:
OPEC+ members led by Saudi Arabia and Russia recently agreed to extend voluntary oil output cuts first announced in 2023 as part of an agreement among oil producers to boost prices following economic uncertainty.
Relevance:
GS II- International Relations
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- What is OPEC+?
About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an intergovernmental organization of 14 nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna, Austria.
- As of 2018, the 14 member countries accounted for an estimated 44 percent of global oil production and almost 82% of the world’s “proven” oil reserves, giving OPEC a major influence on global oil prices that were previously determined by the so-called “Seven Sisters” grouping of multinational oil companies.
- The stated mission of the organization is to “coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its member countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets, in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers, and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.”
What is OPEC+?
- OPEC + countries are non-OPEC countries that export crude oil alongside the 14 OPEC countries.
- Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan, and Sudan are among the OPEC plus countries.
What are their goals?
- The OPEC and non OPEC producers first formed the alliance at a historic meeting in Algiers in 2016.
- The aim was to undertake production restrictions to help resuscitate a flailing market
