OPEC unlikely to cut oil output: sources
February 20, 2008 - 0:0
LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) -- OPEC is unlikely to cut oil output at a meeting in March due to rising prices and uncertainty about supply from Venezuela and Nigeria, OPEC sources said on Tuesday.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meets on March 5 and some members have urged the group to lower output, even though oil is trading near a record high.""Prices are high and this is not the time to talk about a cut,"" said an OPEC delegate from one of the group's larger producers, who declined to be identified by name.
""It is too early at this time to make a definitive statement, but the logic would be no change,"" said a second source familiar with OPEC policy.
The first delegate said supply uncertainty in Nigeria, whose output has been hit by militant attacks, and Venezuela, which is threatening to halt oil sales to the United States, argued against talk of an OPEC cutback.
""There is no need to cut now, especially with what's happening in Venezuela and Nigeria,"" the delegate said.