INA - BAGHDAD
Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar affirmed on Saturday, Iraq's work on a vision that emphasizes the importance of finding a balance in the energy market, ahead of the new OPEC + meeting next month to study market conditions.
"Iraq is a major member of OPEC and we have repeatedly worked to find a balance in the energy market," said Abdul-Jabbar to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
He noted that "OPEC is working on the same level and we are monitoring the market, as there will be a periodic meeting with OPEC and allies, and we will look to the extent energy market balance so that OPEC can make its own decisions,”
"We do not have any expectation about whether the current monthly increase of 400,000 barrels per month will remain or not, as the member states will wait for market research reports that give a clear vision, and the decision will be based on what is provided by technical experts,” he added.
Earlier, OPEC + decided, during its meeting at the beginning of this month, to keep the monthly increase rate of 400,000 barrels in December.
National Oil Marketing Company (SOMO), said that Iraq does not see the necessity of any decision related to increasing its production capabilities above the plan for the OPEC countries.
“In light of the increased demand for energy, Iraq sees the (OPEC +) agreement to increase production by 400,000 barrels per day per month sufficient to absorb demand and achieve market stability,” Somo added in a statement received by INA.
Two sources from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said last Wednesday that OPEC and its allies in the group known as (OPEC +) are scheduled to hold two meetings next week to determine policies, as a meeting will be held on December, 1st for OPEC members only and another meeting in December, 2nd for (OPEC +).
The emergence of the new Corona mutant (Omicron) has caused a decline in oil prices during the past 48 hours, due to the prospects of a return to the closure of European countries, after assurances that the new mutant that appeared for the first time in South Africa is more able to spread.