Saudi Arabia and Iran on Tuesday dashed hopes that Opec oil producers could clinch an output-limiting deal in Algeria this week as sources within the exporter group said the differences between the kingdom and rival Iran remained too wide.
“This is a consultative meeting … We will consult with everyone else, we will hear the views, we will hear the secretariat of Opec and also hear from consumers,” the Saudi energy minister Khalid Al Falih said.
Opec will hold informal talks on Wednesday. Its members are also meeting non-Opec producers such as Russia on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum, which groups producers and consumers.
Oil prices have more than halved from 2014 levels due to oversupply, prompting Opec producers and rival Russia to seek a market rebalancing that would boost revenues from oil exports and help their crippled budgets.
The predominant idea since early 2016 among producers has been to agree to freeze output levels, although market watchers have said such a move would fail to reduce unwanted barrels.
It was reported last week that Saudi Arabia had offered to reduce its output if Iran agreed to freeze production, a shift in Riyadh’s position as the kingdom had previously refused to discuss output cuts.
Iran itself said on Tuesday that it was not willing to freeze its oil output at current levels and doesn’t intend to forge an agreement with other major crude producers this week.
The country’s oil minister, Bijan Zanganeh, said Iran wants to raise its crude production to 4 million bpd.
The country, which had an output of 3.6 million bpd last month, will talk to other members at forum and it is possible that Opec could reach a formal supply deal at its November meeting in Vienna, he said.
“It’s not our agenda to reach agreement in these two days,” Zanganeh said. “We are here for the IEF and to have a consultative informal meeting in Opec to exchange views. Not more.”
Russian energy minister Alexander Novak was due to meet Mr Zanganeh on Tuesday in what sources said was a new attempt to persuade Tehran to play ball.
Mr Falih also said he was optimistic about the oil market although rebalancing was taking longer than expected.
“The market is trending in the right direction, slower than what we had hoped for a few months ago but the fundamentals are moving in the right direction,” Mr Falih said.
“From that aspect we are feeling good about the market and I think the rebalancing is here but taking (longer) than what we had hoped.”
He said record global stocks of oil had started to decline: “How fast will it take place, it also depends on the production agreement. If there is a consensus on one in the next few months, Saudi Arabia will be with the consensus view.”
business@thenational.ae
* Video courtesy CNBC
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