This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.The oil cartel came under intense pressure from the White House ahead of its meeting in Vienna as President Biden tried to secure lower energy prices for US consumers. crude rose to $87.64, and international benchmark Brent went up to $93.21 after the decision.Īssociated Press reporters Chris Megerian and Josh Boak in Washington contributed.Ĭopyright 2022 The Associated Press. International benchmark Brent has sagged as low as $84 in recent days after spending most of the summer months over $100 per barrel. “Higher prices beforehand - boosted by production cuts elsewhere - would therefore doubtless be very welcome.” Russia “will need to find new buyers for its oil when the EU embargo comes into force in early December and will presumably have to make further price concessions to do so,” analysts at Commerzbank said. It comes amid an energy crisis created by Russian reductions in natural gas supplies to Europe, whose leaders accuse Moscow of retaliation for their support for Ukraine and imposing of sanctions. The EU agreed Wednesday on new sanctions that are expected to include a price cap on Russian oil, meant to starve Putin's country of money for its war machine. and other members of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies to impose a price cap on Russian oil could reduce supply if Russia retaliates by refusing to ship to countries and companies that observe the cap. Oil supply could face further cutbacks in coming months when a European ban on most Russian imports takes effect in December. High inflation is a fundamental drag on Biden's approval and has dampened Democrats' chances in the midterm elections. drivers, who saw lower gasoline prices at the pump before costs recently started ticking up, and for Biden as his Democratic Party gears up for congressional elections next month.īiden has tried to receive credit for gasoline prices falling from their average June peak of $5.02 - with administration officials highlighting a late March announcement that a million barrels a day would be released from the strategic reserve for six months.

The recent fall in oil prices has been a boon to U.S. “Only about half of that is real barrels,” he said.Ī cut with oil near $90, which is 'a comfortable price for all producers,' might not sit well with customers, but the oil ministers are 'looking into the tunnel of recession ' that could lower demand in coming months, Peach said.

Part of the OPEC+ cut is “on paper” because members already can’t supply enough oil to hit their allotments, said Gary Peach, oil markets analyst at energy information firm Energy Intelligence. As demand rebounded, global energy prices have swung wildly since Russia invaded Ukraine, helping fuel inflation that is squeezing economies worldwide. “It’s clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with today’s announcement,” she said.īin Salman rejected questions referencing the reaction in Washington or implying that OPEC was assisting Russia, saying the discussion was in a nonpolitical “silo” where the focus was prudent management of oil markets.įollowing a token trim last month, Wednesday's decision is an abrupt turnaround from months of restoring deep cuts made during the depths of the pandemic. President Joe Biden considered the OPEC+ decision “short-sighted while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One. The OPEC+ decision could help member Russia weather a looming European ban on most of Moscow's oil, but its impact will have some limitations because countries in the alliance already can't meet their quotas. or Europe will sink into recession due to high inflation, rising interest rates and energy uncertainty over Russia's war in Ukraine. Oil is trading well below its summer peaks because of fears that major global economies such as the U.S. “We are here to stay as a moderating force, to bring about stability,” he told reporters.

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