Oil pact monitors won't discuss further cuts at July meet: report

[MOSCOW] A ministerial committee monitoring an Opec-led pact on cutting oil production will not discuss the possibility of further cuts at its regular meeting on July 24, Opec's secretary-general said in comments carried by Russia's Interfax news agency on Sunday.

Mohammad Barkindo, who was speaking to journalists in Istanbul before the World Petroleum Congress, said such discussions would be premature, Interfax reported.

The Joint Opec-Non-opec Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), set up to monitor the global deal on oil output curbs, meets on July 24 in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, such as Russia, agreed to cut output by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from January 2017 until the end of March 2018 to reduce bloated inventories and prop up prices.

But oil prices have fallen since May, as oil production from the United States and other producers not bound by the pact has risen. Oil output from two Opec members, Nigeria and Libya, both exempt from the limits, has also climbed.

Energy ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia and several other key producers have previously said there was no need for immediate extra measures to support oil prices.

But Russia's Energy Ministry said on Friday that Moscow was ready to consider proposals, including revising the deal, if needed.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Reuters last week that the monitoring committee, which will discuss the deal implementation and market situation, had the authority to recommend "any decisions" to participants.

REUTERS