Opec's 2017 balancing act could face headwinds from US shale

London

AFTER pulling off the biggest oil-market deal in a decade, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) faces a new balancing act in 2017: boosting prices without igniting shale.

The first shale boom had spurred a global supply glut that started prices sliding in mid-2014, and was amplified in November that year by a pump-at-will Opec strategy aimed at market dominance. During the ensuing rout, prices in New York fell from more than US$100 a barrel to US$26.05 in February, straining the budgets of companies and countries alike.

Now, Opec has a new plan for 2017: Trim output, boost prices and better exploit the world's most significant natural resource. With the cuts, prices could average US$58 a barrel, according to the median of 24 analyst …